DSS tenant won't pay her rent, or even discuss it

[Samsuka]

Hi All,

I have a tenant who has not paid me rent this month, and already owes me a months rent. She is due to move out next month (19th June) and i have served a S21 notice correctly. She currently owes me almost £1,300.

The last time i talked to her she said that the council owes her back rent after she appealed against them not paying her enough, so that is why she has not paid. So i asked for her housing reference number to take it up with the housing department of the council but she refuses to give it to me, and now won't answer my calls or answer me if i knock on her door. I think she is avoiding paying me so that she can save up the money for a deposit to move out (at least i hope she will move out).

I want to talk to the council and see what the story is, and find out if they are paying her rent but she is not paying it to me, in which case i can get it stopped, but they won't talk to me unless she gives them her number and permission. What do i do?

By the time she leaves she will owe me about £2,000, although i do have a £1,000 deposit. Is there any thing i can do. Can i talk to the council, and is it worth getting her rent stopped, because then i might have more trouble getting her out.

Any help would be great

Thanks

Sam

[Moorf]

I had a similar problem a few years back with a tenant who just stopped paying rent and was totally avoiding me and others I sent round to confront him.

Apart from serving the appropriate notices (as you have done) there was little I could do - although I did finally manage to get their rent money paid direct to ME instead of them (from the DSS) by providing them with copies of the notices I'd served on them and details of the tenancy contract etc and a letter from my bank saying that no monies had been received from XX.

In the end he owed me c. £3000 but I couldn't be arsed to recoup it - too much hassle plus he "disappeared". I now use a management agency and have done ever since the above scenario

Hope that helps just a little.

Moorf

[Samsuka]

Hi Moorf,

Thanks for the advice. I have a tenancy agreement saying that she has a 6-month contract till the 19th June, a copy of a letter that i gave her detailing what rent she owes me from the 17th April, and a copy of the S21 notice that i issued her with. If i give copies of that to the council along with details from my bank will that be enough? Will a statement from the bank do or do i actually need a letter from the bank?

I think she is going to mess us around so i am quite happy to get on the case now and try and get the remaining rent paid straight to me instead of to her

Is it worth warning her by slipping a letter under her door that we are going to try and do this to gee her up a little or do we just go ahead and do it. I am also worried that it may be a bit to soon as well, but i want to get on this early

Thanks

Sam

[Moorf]

I'd get in there early - I gave my tenant the benefit of the doubt and it got me nowhere.

Get in touch with the Council immediately - she is being paid DSS money for rent and not using it for the purpose it was supplied - give them all your ID, address/ownership details etc and go from there. They will be just as concerned that their money isn't being spent appropriately - talk nice to them and you'll be surprised what you can get them to do!

Might be worth telling her that you are going to have her rent paid direct to your bank acct too and that you will be pursuing her for any costs incurred in doing so.. see if that wakes her up!

Moorf

[Samsuka]

Hi Moorf,

It turns out that just an hour or so ago my wife managed to have a conversation with her and agreed to give her 2-weeks, because apparently she is waiting for a cheque from the council because she disputed her rent!!! Sounds dodgy so i have agreed to give her the benefit of the doubt for that long before i get back on her case. However i may make a check with the council anyway just to check up on their side of things. Can't hurt i guess.

Thanks

Sam

[Muse]

Too little too late

I would still contact the council and explain she is 8 weeks in arrears, providing what proof you have of this, they are obliged to make all rent payment to you if the tenant is 8 weeks in arrears. At the end of the day she shoudn't mind as you are only asking them to pay you what is in fact your money not hers. I'm afraid I wouldn't trust her, she made promises to pay and broke them and then refused to take you calls, so I would break your word about giving her 2 weeks. After all if she decided in 2 weeks time not to pay you, you then have to start the ball rolling with the council...........this way the ball is rolling now!

[Samsuka]

And it gets more interesting!!!!!

I have since contacted the council about the issue, but have found that they don't even have her registered for housing benefit, and that she doesn't seem to be on the council tax as well. She did a full check on her name but came up with nothing.

All i can think of is that either they can't find her, that she has been using a different name or that she is not registered and is doing things on her own!!!

I am going to double check with them, but how do i deal with that? I can't get her to talk to me, she is probably lying to me. Coupled with the fact that she is barmy (she has called out the police at least 10 times because she thinks she is getting harassed by teenagers) i am at my wits end

Any ideas?

Sam