What happens about mail.

[sparrow]

Personally, i would open the mail, contact the utility co and let them know that the person no longer lives at the address and if possible give them a forwarding address. If they want, you could then return the letter to sender.

We are not talking about someone deliberately sabotaging someones mail here, this is a case of helping out the supplier, helping out the tenant ie giving them the opportunity to pay the bill before costs escalate (they may not be aware that they owe money) and also taking any stress away from subsequent tenants who otherwise might start receiving bailiffs letters/calls.

Do you know that if an address is unreadable/wrong and there is no senders address on a package/envelope the Royal mail open the mail themselves?

That's my opinion based on the fact that when i have returned to sender i find that the letters and then the bailiffs keep coming!

Your choice.

[Doc74]

At the risk of inflaming the debate again (let's not) at least this thread is offering different advice/points of view with the pro's and con's.

Surely that's one of the benefits of the forum? I certainly appreciate the debate given I am very much still learning.

[Scrungy]

All utility usage and bills are connected to people not buildings.

Unless the law has changed in recent years, AFAIK one errant/non-paying occupier of X property does stop any services from being provided to X property when a new occupier moves in (which may not be a tenant).

This being the case, all the back and forth about people's post and what to do with it that has been talked about in this thread is of no consequence and is irrelevant.

[shining light]

Just a thought regarding the issue here of utility companies.

I thought the majority of these companies wanted to know the name of the Landlord so they know who to bill when the property is vacant. This being the case, the landlord should be able to contact said company to advise the tenant has left and hopefully find out if there are any problems.

When next tenant moves in, he is told that there is a shortfall in the gas / electric and the wont supply as there are unpaid bills.

I'm not saying this doesn't happen but I don't believe this is the norm. The shortfall is with the tenant who "did a runner" and a new tenant isn't liable.

[oaktree]

Good result for you.

[citizenz]

Many thanks all for your replies. I have never parted company with a tenant in such circumstances. I have little understanding why the should withhold their new address. Except perhaps because of the house cleaning bill which will be wending its way to them soon.

The tenant did appear to collect the mail on being told it was to be returned to sender.

[ram]

So by your reckoning I could go out and rob a bank today but as long as no one ever reports it, its not a crime???.

you may go and rob a bank if you wish, but I would not do that myself.

We are talking about opening letters that could stop your gas / electric for your
next tenant.
I say again, if you want your next tenant to have no gas and electric --
in "some" cases, then that is your choice to put them in that situation .

Thread now removed from email notification.

R.a.M.

[islandgirl]

yawn - let us all do as we please in the pivacy of our own homes / rental properties...

[45002]

QUOTE=45002 Well,we All know now and everyone else using the www

so what, they have no proof, and O.P. has admitted nothing, therefore it would
be malicious intent when no proof is available.
.
R.a.M.

I was referring to You ram and what you have admitted to on a public forum in your previous post's in this thread..

Blatantly encouraging people to open offer peoples post on a public forum

I just hope that one day you do get caught out................

[oaktree]

A criminal offence is only criminal if some one knows about it, and those people report you or the authorities see you ( such as speeding )

If there is no one to see you do a criminal act , there is no one to report you as no one in the world knows.R.a.M.

That has got to rank as the most ridiculous and potentially damaging pieces of 'advice' that you're ever posted. So by your reckoning I could go out and rob a bank today but as long as no one ever reports it, its not a crime???

Utter rubbish R.a.m. and you should withdraw your statement.

[ram]

QUOTE=45002 Well,we All know now and everyone else using the www

so what, they have no proof, and O.P. has admitted nothing, therefore it would
be malicious intent by the "www" when no proof is available.

QUOTE=45002 So your a tenant opening post not addressed to you,
No I am not, you are distorting the facts.

QUOTE=45002 you clearly did not have to pay the previous tenants debt off,
more fool you using your money to pay some elses debt off..

Read the thread, it says I was paid back.
You get into a flat, and there is no electric, and as many posts on here say ,
and do, the landlords say it's not their problem, get lost, I don't care if you have
no electric, contact the electric company,who then say, who the hell are you,
So i'm not going to sit with no electric for 3 weeks, while the sort it out.

QUOTE=45002 Royal mail will tell you it's a Criminal offence interfering and
opening post, parcels and so on,that are Not addressed to you.

Of course they will , but how the **** are you supposed to return to sender
unles you open to get the address to return to.
I put my address on the letter, NOT on the envelope.

But if you don't want to open letter that a person has said, I don't want them, as
I have not given you a forwarding adress, then if no reply, then be prepared to find
10 year down the line, you have a charge on the propery when you come to sell,
because you were stupid enough to ignor ANY letter sent to your property.

You come to sell you property, and by not opening letters, find 20 companies have
put £ 50000 charge against your peoperty, because all letters were returned to sender.

Up to you what you do, but if anyone does not give a dam about their next tenants
or their property, then don't open mail to be able to return to sender.

thanks.
R.a.M.

[45002]

For ref for other people :-

refer to post 3 and 6.

A criminal offence is only criminal if some one knows about it, and those people
report you or the authorities see you ( such as speeding )

If there is no one to see you do a criminal act , there is no one to report you.
as no one in the world knows.

so
1) The ex tenant does not want the letters, there is no forwarding address, so
ex tenant will not know he has letters, therefore cannot complain that you
opened his letters, as he wont know he had any letters to open.

2) The post office wont complain, as the only person who knows the letters
addressed to the ex tenant were opened, is the landlord, and he certainly
wont be complaining to the post office about himself.

so, can I rent your property, pay the first months rent, then pay nothing after
that, it will take you 6 months to legaly get me out, and by that time, I will have
paid for no gas electricty or council tax, got credit on your address.

Your address will be blacklisted as no payments were ever made, and the next
tenant or 5 will not be able to get credit, as the address is blacklisted.

If you do not open letters and sort out it out,
then you MUST tell the next tenant that you don't care what the last tenant
did,and the next tenant may not be able to get utilities unless he pays a hefty
sum in advance, and if he tries to get credit at that address, he may not get it.

As I said, that is the worst condition, but you must tell the next tenant the above
if you think that is a possibility, and give him the oportunity to decline renting
your property.

Look after your tenants, as well as your profits.

R.a.M.

Well,we All know now and everyone else using the www

Open and read before returning to sender.

(there are many on here that agree with me, and many posts on the matter ,
so no need to argue again in this post )

Wost conditions =
Tenant never paid for gas, electric, coucil tax
May have applied for credit using landlords name, has credit cards for that address
under landlords name ( if they check the landregistry, the landlords name will
be on it )

So ( as I said , worst conditions )
Any utility company when not getting answers, WILL visit the premises, will be
sending letters to the "occupant" having removed the name of the tenant from
the letters after 6 months.
Your next tenant will have people knocking on his door demanding payment, and
if payment not paid, could cut off gas and electric.
Not very nice of the landlord to allow this to happen, and certainly not giving the tenant
his legal right to "peace and enjoyment of the property"
When next tenant moves in, he is told that there is a shortfall in the gas / electric and
the wont supply as there are unpaid bills.



I had to feed a pre pay meter to pay off the debts of a last tenant, before I could
electric to my flat ( Yes, I was paid back,) but it's not nice having no electric
because the landlord sent back letters, un opened, that no further utilities will
be provided due to none payment and did not tell me the flat was supplied with
NO ELECTRIC.

At the worst, as stated, your new tenant will could be refused gas and electric
unles he pays a hefty deposit, all of which the landlord will be unaware of, as he
refused to open letters about his property.

Before someone pipes up saying " oh, you cant open letters, it's illegal")
1) The ex tenant does not want the letters, there is no forwarding address, so
ex tenant will not know he has letters, therefore cannot complain that you opened
his letters, as he wont know he had any letters to open.

2) The post office wont complain, as the only person who knows the letters
addressed to the ex tenant were opened, is the landlord, and he certainly wont
be complaining to the post office about himself.

OPEN the letters and see what a mess your ex tenant has got you into.
Tell the senders if he has gone away, they want to know.

R.a.M

So your a tenant opening post not addressed to you,you clearly did not have to pay the previous tenants debt off,more fool you using your money to pay some elses debt off..

Did you send them a copy of your TA,proving you where a new tenant so they could reset the pre payment meter...

Royal mail will tell you it's a Criminal offence interfering and opening post,parcels and so on,that are Not addressed to you.

[Snorkerz]

Interfering with Her Majesty's mail is a criminal offence whether you are caught or not.

Once the mail is delivered, it no longer falls into that category - technically it is the property of the addressee, but the key thing is, it is no longer Her Majesty's Mail.

[ram]

Interfering with someone elses mail is a criminal offence.

For ref for other people :-

refer to post 3 and 6.

A criminal offence is only criminal if some one knows about it, and those people
report you or the authorities see you ( such as speeding )

If there is no one to see you do a criminal act , there is no one to report you.
as no one in the world knows.

so
1) The ex tenant does not want the letters, there is no forwarding address, so
ex tenant will not know he has letters, therefore cannot complain that you
opened his letters, as he wont know he had any letters to open.

2) The post office wont complain, as the only person who knows the letters
addressed to the ex tenant were opened, is the landlord, and he certainly
wont be complaining to the post office about himself.

so, can I rent your property, pay the first months rent, then pay nothing after
that, it will take you 6 months to legaly get me out, and by that time, I will have
paid for no gas electricty or council tax, got credit on your address.

Your address will be blacklisted as no payments were ever made, and the next
tenant or 5 will not be able to get credit, as the address is blacklisted.

If you do not open letters and sort out it out,
then you MUST tell the next tenant that you don't care what the last tenant
did,and the next tenant may not be able to get utilities unless he pays a hefty
sum in advance, and if he tries to get credit at that address, he may not get it.

As I said, that is the worst condition, but you must tell the next tenant the above
if you think that is a possibility, and give him the oportunity to decline renting
your property.

Look after your tenants, as well as your profits.

R.a.M.

[oaktree]

Good grief, here we go again Interfering with someone elses mail is a criminal offence.

If its utility bills then send it back to the sender - with a covering letter saying you are the landlord and the tenants ahve gone, here are the readings etc, - and give the address you have been given.

Everything else return to sender.