Using the rent to keep up with the Jones’s

Using the rent to keep up with the Jones’s

15:41 PM, 9th December 2015, About 8 years ago 18

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landlord actionYesterday morning I attended a successful High Court eviction in North London, which will appear on our next series of Nightmare Tenants, Slum Landlords. The tenants owed £16,000 in rent. After much procrastination and protest, they finally left the property.

The tenants had failed to pay rent for eight months. They had delivered excuse after excuse as to why they aren’t able to make the payments. Yet they had a house filled with all the latest technology, gadgets and gizmos. They also had a brand new car. They really appeared to be living the high life.

Even after all these years, this case made me angry. Just because they didn’t own that home, it did not mean they had a right to expect someone else to fund their lifestyle and enable them to treat themselves with whatever they want. Rent, like a mortgage, should be the single most important payment that a person/couple makes each month.

The couple who rented this particular property were both school teachers, they had children of their own and were renting a well maintained family home. They had passed their reference checks and on paper, appeared to be ideal candidates to rent the property, at £2000 a month. Sadly, that was not the case.

Forcing someone to leave a property is never a nice situation, and particularly at this time of year. But how can two fully grown adults with responsible jobs not understand that the situation they find themselves in is not the fault of the landlords, but a consequence of their own actions? It was as if they genuinely didn’t think they would have to leave the property. They simply didn’t think this day would come.

We see all types of circumstances in the field of eviction, and it can often be difficult not to feel some kind of emotion, especially when there are children involved. This is especially true when people have hit hard times and there are genuine reasons as to why they have fallen behind with rent payments.

These tenants were nothing like that. They were manipulative and irresponsible. The couple used excuses to tug on the heartstrings of this particular landlord and he gave them extra time over and over again. Finally, as a result of the financial strain the landlord has been put under from not receiving rent, he is being forced to sell the property.

Rent is a responsibility, and more people should treat it as such, rather than a choice. Yes, lots of people want a nice home filled with lovely things. But you can’t just have whatever you want in life without paying for it. Renting a property is no different.

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Comments

Mandy Thomson

9:17 AM, 11th December 2015, About 8 years ago

Hi David

Yes, as you know I'm familiar with their service and I agree - tenant history services (Tenant Referencing isn't the only one) are a good idea, and Landlord Referencing also do a thorough reference check with Experian.

Having said that, tenant history services are relatively new, a lot of them rely on voluntarily submitted data, and for this reason the majority of tenants won't be listed, although I agree it's a good idea to run checks against ALL of them.

I'm personally thinking of using Homelet (when I rented as a tenant the agent used them and they were very rigorous) plus they're well established with a good reputation AND Landlord Referencing - they use different credit reference agencies (Homelet uses Credit Call which is the smallest of the 3 agencies). I will also use at least one other tenant history service (Homelet automatically check their own database of defaulting tenants).

However, Stung Landlord didn't have these options with his tenants as I understand Abu Dhabi doesn't currently have very robust credit checking services, a warning to us all to ensure an overseas tenant can be thoroughly referenced in their country of origin unless you're fully prepared to take a risk!

Graham Durkin

20:38 PM, 12th December 2015, About 8 years ago

I really hope that this Landlord goes after them for the money owed ,why didn,t he pay for a rent guarantee ,also I hope he kept their deposit .I would be straight round to the office of these H.C.E. people find out the process and hound them down ,these people must be on at least £40,000 each being teachers in London . consider making them Bankrupt as a last resort. This clearly shows yet again that landlords should be fighting for law changes that help speed up the eviction process, did they evict under section 8

Landlord Stung

22:41 PM, 12th December 2015, About 8 years ago

Believe it or not, I did have landlord insurance and rent protection. However, the insurers found a loophole with the referencing (given they came from abroad) which made everything void. How convenient.

Together they make 76K which is enough to sustain anyone reasonable. But you don't get it, these guys had it all and everything at best quality. 3d 55" TV, another one in the bedroom, Prada, Valentino, Dior shades, porcelain Christ dolls at $150 a set, a 3m trampoline, garden furniture of the top brand, Barbie dolls as many as you can count, action figures ( Marvel's - what else) in the tens and so much more luxurious stuff. They just bought a brand new HP laptops, 2 iPad minis to top their iPhone 6s that both have and so much more. Their spending is through the roof.
Having been here for some time now since the eviction I can certainly say that these people are true shoppoholics. Somewhere I potty them. Then I get full of rage again.
I guess the cosmo sent them to me for a reason.

Point is, you can do everything right, be the perfect landlord taking all necessary precautions and still get stung. And then it takes months before eviction. Months of building debts not only to me but leaving a trail of debt everywhere they go.

Graham Durkin

23:34 PM, 12th December 2015, About 8 years ago

Reply to the comment left by "Landlord Stung" at "12/12/2015 - 22:41":

Hi, I am really sorry that having taken all the precautions you still get stung,I personally could n,t let it drop with the amount that was owed and i would be looking for restitution initially via the court system and then sending up to the High Court for the sheriffs ,what is there to lose .may be you can eventually go and make them bankrupt. Maybe i,m just being vindictive but they clearly have no consideration for what they have put you and your family through so why not return the sentiment . good luck with your next tenant .p s. next time just double the deposit for starters

Mandy Thomson

8:50 AM, 13th December 2015, About 8 years ago

Reply to the comment left by "Landlord Stung" at "12/12/2015 - 22:41":

Thanks for the warning about RGI not covering tenants whose last address was overseas. No doubt the insurers regarded the tenancy as too risky as the tenants could only be partially referenced, but why then did the insurance company not ask these questions as part of the application process and then decline your application once this fact was established?

Mandy Thomson

9:10 AM, 13th December 2015, About 8 years ago

Reply to the comment left by "Mandy Thomson" at "13/12/2015 - 08:50":

Further to my last comment, I've just visited Tenant Verify's website (they provide referencing for overseas tenants). Their FAQs state that they WILL provide RGI for tenants from abroad, provided the tenant passes their own International Check.

Landlord Stung

9:32 AM, 13th December 2015, About 8 years ago

Great work Mandy! Though this is the last time I take tenants from abroad

Mandy Thomson

10:17 AM, 13th December 2015, About 8 years ago

Reply to the comment left by "Landlord Stung" at "13/12/2015 - 09:32":

Thanks, Landlord Stung - I obviously don't know the details around your declined insurance claim, but based on what you've said on here, I would be inclined to challenge their decision.

For the benefit of anyone else reading this, I don't know who your insurers are, but I'd just like to clarify that I checked out Tenant Verify simply because they're the only international referencing service that I'm personally aware of, but no doubt there are plenty of others around.

In short, I'm NOT suggesting that Tenant Verify were the insurers who declined Landlord Stung's claim!

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