Section 8 court hearing HHSRS assessment

[theartfullodger]

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Environmental health emailed me today saying the fire brigade had to go to the property as the electrics were not safe. (I have an electrical certificate)

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Tricky: Your tenant seems to know what they are doing. Be very very careful & document everything you do. Good luck!

Having a certificate doesn't mean something is necessarily safe (MoT, Grenfell.....)

[topshelf]

Have you thought of contacting the fire service HQ, requesting information on this incident, there may be a fee involved but it may tell you if the call was on 999 / blue lights, or in there normal working activity day work, the reason they was contacted, the fault they believed found, and any advice that was offered . a log is usually made of all calls. just a thought

[Bach]

Have you thought of contacting the fire service HQ, requesting information on this incident, there may be a fee involved but it may tell you if the call was on 999 / blue lights, or in there normal working activity day work, the reason they was contacted, the fault they believed found, and any advice that was offered . a log is usually made of all calls. just a thought

I'll try this tomorrow...fingers crossed!!

[Bach]

Tricky: Your tenant seems to know what they are doing. Be very very careful & document everything you do. Good luck!

Having a certificate doesn't mean something is necessarily safe (MoT, Grenfell.....)

Yes, the tenant seems to know exactly what to do.

I'm logging and recording everything

[Bach]

Update:

The tenant has today been moved out of the property.

The council have put her belongings into storage.

I can't get through to the right team in the council to confirm if it's okay for me to go into the property.

Any ideas on where I stand regarding access?

[jpkeates]

Push a letter through the door giving 24 hours notice of inspecting the condition of the property.
Turn up and inspect tomorrow - that'll confirm that they've moved out or not.

If they have, change the locks.

Nothing the council say will make any difference.

[DPT57]

Update:

The tenant has today been moved out of the property.

Who by? The Council? The tenancy hasnt ended. Nothing to stop you going to inspect though. Take an independent witness and a camera if possible

[Bach]

Thanks guys

[Bach]

Who by? The Council? The tenancy hasnt ended. Nothing to stop you going to inspect though. Take an independent witness and a camera if possible

Yeah, the council's homeless team l moved the tenant into emergency housing. That's all I know at the moment, I keep getting passed around from person to person, never the right person or department.

I'm pretty sure it's empty as one of the council's housing team told me the tenant was moved out today and her belongings put in storage.

So, I posted an inspection notice through the door today, I'll pop in tomorrow and it will most probably be empty.

If so, then what? Can I change the locks?

What if the tenant has changed the lock, can I replace the lock?

[jpkeates]

The worst case risk is that you illegally evict the tenant, who hasn't actually moved out.
But the offence requires that the landlord cannot "prove.. that he believed, and had reasonable cause to believe, that the residential occupier had ceased to reside in the premises."

You have been told that the person has moved out and will inspect and check that this appears to be the case.
When you speak to the utility suppliers and council about council tax to assume responsibility, you will provide more evidence.

Me, I'd change the locks if I thought the tenant had moved out.

[leaseholder64]

You want to make sure that the move wasn't because they considered the place unfit for human habitation.

[Bach]

You want to make sure that the move wasn't because they considered the place unfit for human habitation.

I'm not sure what the exact reason was for her being moved out but it was definitely to do with the disrepair issues (which I was never informed about)

Anyway, I went there today, some of her belongings are still there..including a cat!!

According to the council, she has been put into temporary accommodation, I don't know how long for and still haven't got through to anyone who can tell me if it's okay for me to carry out any works needed (after inspecting the property today, everything seems okay)

[jpkeates]

As long as you give the tenant notice of what you're doing, you can go ahead unless they object.
Which they won't because they're not there.

And you need to feed the cat (or take it to someone who will feed it).

[theartfullodger]

I would report abandoned cat to RSPCA (take a note of who you speak to) and council housing dealing with this person.

[jpkeates]

Then they can drive over and get the cat?