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Has anyone had any problems with their tenants?
we didn't till last month. Our tenant of our fully furnished house in Halkirk moved out and stole everything.
He is renting a house now in east gills, Thurso.
i spoke to him today. He said he'd put everything up to the tip and was very sorry, yet he returned the big table and chairs which were in his new rented house.
I think he has kept most of the item, he'd stolen all the curtains and the new bedding and bed covers, everything. I'm devastated.
Presumably you have a signed up inventory of all items in the property?
If so then it's a matter for the police, theft is theft
Did you properly vet the tenant?
References? Identity proof etc?
Here is a link to a check list - http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/b...dlord-ask.html
Some properties are trashed by rogue tenants and they just move on to the next naive landlord.
If anyone is new to letting speak to more experienced landlords in the area who will perhaps tell you about some of the pitfalls and how to avoid them.
Were you insured properly?
There are other tales of woe and often the same names will come up if they give their real name.
Sorry you have to deal with this sort of thing but you need to be on your guard every time you let to someone you do not know and thoroughly check them. If genuine they wont mind.
If true, understandable, though wrong.Quote:
Originally Posted by Fran
Having spent many years in various private rents the most annoying thing is having to put up with somebody elses choice of furniture & decoration, in many cases furniture hardly fit for purpose other than for bumping up the rent as the property can then be described as "Furnished" (often using the cheapest furniture they could lay their hands on).
One flat I lived in I ended up with the provided couch stored upright in a hall cupboard just so that I could fit a decent couch in.
I prefer the Australian system, if you leave furniture behind in a property you're renting out the rent is reduced as it is viewed as the landlord using the property for storage.
My advice, rent your property unfurnished (probably more likely to get a long term reliable tennent as well, as they have the ability to make it "Their Home" as opposed to just somewhere to doss down untill something better comes along).
Here are links for prospective landlords to consider -
http://www.s1rental.com/renting-prop.../renting-faqs/
https://www.belvoir.co.uk/to-furnish...question-p9743
https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/sc...ith-renting-s/
https://scotland.shelter.org.uk/get_...tenancy_rights
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bill Fernie
I disagree, in fact the opposite, in a five bed house there is more likely to be space to store whatever crap you don't want to use. Plus a one bed flat shouldn't be too expensive to furnish yourself. Also, a five bed house is most likely to be a family with children & children can be very destructive. One place I rented I ended up with a bill for furniture restoration work (scratch removal from old 50's/60's bedroom furniture totally unsuitable for a hyperactive childs bedroom) that came to more than (in my opinion) the furniture was worth (the type of furniture even charity shops dispose of as it is unsellable, or sold very cheap).Quote:
a one bed flat is more likely to benefit from being furnished than a five bed house on average.
In my experience it is very hard if not impossible to find an unfurnished property to rent privately.Quote:
In general, furnished properties are more in demand than unfurnished but in truth the majority of the properties we let come with just the main kitchen goods.
My point exactly.Quote:
Having bought their own furniture, tenants may stay in a property longer. For example, a family who would be looking to make a home for themselves might want to make their mark on the property. As a result, they might be more likely to invest in furniture for future use
Except often they just go for cheapest 2nd hand stuff they can lay their hands on.Quote:
You don't have to provide expensive furniture to make a difference, but it should be serviceable, clean, safe and appealing to the type of tenant you're hoping to attract.
Had bad experience couple of years ago and tenants did a moonlight to Fife I understand. The house was left filthy, new carpets were full of burnt iron marks, oil tank drained and so on and so on.They left rent arrears and no forwarding address and had been told to vacate property. This has now been sold as too much hassle. And yes references had been taken up and all done in accordance with letting policy. Sorry Fran but I doubt if you will recoup your losses but all the best.
It certainly is a problem in other parts of Britain as well, this article was in yesterday's paper:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...e-trashed.html
"'Despite winning a court order we've had to pay all the costs and fees because the tenants could not afford it because of their financial situation.".
Some of the article's attached comments suggested having a national register of bad tenants.
Thanks for your help Bill. The house is now for sale
Been to both police stations
Did you get any joy from our finest?
That's what I thought, they say no
I have his new address and have even been to see him. He gave back new table and chairs, nothing else
Always use a letting agent. They do referencing checks and go through the inventory with incoming and outgoing tenants.
I take it you saw the news a while back showing how a letting agents should also be checked . A family with a huge new build home put it up for rent with a £2600 plus a month price tag. The new tenants turned up in a large truck and told some neightbours they were into gym equipment . But what they were doing was a total strip out of the building, kitchen ,bathrooms, doors,lights , they stripped the place to the plasterboard and they even took all the rear facing Windows and frenchdoors. £136,000 worth of stuff just walked . They have never been caught as their papers were false and they've done it hundreds of times . It's never wrong do your homework if it's your money that's on the line. Play safe and be happy.
We are taking the man to court