can anybody translate into actual english, please??

[becksydee]

i'm trying to fill out the relevant forms to get my bastard tenants (who haven't paid me a penny in rent since they moved in over 2 months ago) evicted from my house in birmingham

Comments

[becksydee]

basically, their first rent cheque bounced, and then they cancelled the standing order that had been set up (i sent the mandate to the bank personally, so i know they got it) ... tenant 1 is blaming tenant 2, saying he's given tenant 2 the money for the rent but tenant 2 hasn't passed it on to me, and tenant 2 has stopped answering phone calls - i don't believe either of them! as for what i want - well, both really. but getting them out is number one priority now - i realise it may be a long and drawn out process getting money out of the tenants, even if i am granted a money order.

in terms of repairs - there shouldn't be any for a good while, as i spent *a lot* of money before i rented it out on renovations, including full electrical & gas safety tests, and anything particularly costly would be covered by my insurance. i went by the standards the local council set out for their bond scheme (ignoring random things like having a desk in every bedroom etc) when i was having it renovated. the amount of money i spent getting it up to a good standard is the main reason i'm in such a mess now with my finances - i was expecting to get rent in to pay off my debts!

i think i'll probably rent it out via an agent once this is all over, but are there any websites/books/whatever that would be good for me to read through?

[friend_of_tofu]

Renting via an agent will not make a blind bit of difference in a situation like this. My personal opinion of agents is that they are a total waste of money unless you have more than, say, 4 properties and another full-time job, since there is nothing an agent can do that you can't do yourself. Most of them don't have the first clue about housing, either. There are some honourable exceptions to the rule, but my experience is that agents are at best useless and at worst parasitic.

the amount of money i spent getting it up to a good standard is the main reason i'm in such a mess now with my finances - i was expecting to get rent in to pay off my debts!

This is why I suggested speaking to a financial advisor - the above doesn't sound like a good investment to me, and it looks as though you could use some thorough advice about your situation. If you are seriously in debt, have you considered selling the property? The market is just starting to fall but may continue to do so for some time yet (indeed, I think that's likely), so now may be the best time to sell without further losses. Again, advice on this matter may be of benefit to you.

As to repairs, it's always a good idea to keep money back for emergencies - for example, if a big storm caused damage to the roof or similar, you would eventually get that money back from your insurance, but in the meantime, where would you put the tenants? Are you aware that if the property you are renting them becomes uninhabitable, you have to find the tenants alternative accommodation for the duration? And you can't just charge them extra to make up the difference.

As far as the rent issue goes, as joint tenants both parties would be liable for the full sum of the rent. If you are still speaking to tenant 1, have you made them aware of this? Have you explained your circumstances? Have you explained the possibility of eviction? If tenant 2 is still living in the house, tenant 1 many be able to use some influence over them fi they think they'll have to pay the lot themselves.

My personal opinion is that you might be better off getting a suspended possession order and letting the tenants remain with a fixed repayment of arrears to cover the shortfall - getting them out and someone else in is slow and might cost you more in terms of lost rent, but it does depend on the circumstances. If they fail to keep to that, you can then seek possession. Additionally, there are various mediation schemes by which you can agree repayment amounts without the need for court, but these would require the input of tenant 2 ideally.

Are there any children? A court would be fairly unlikely to grant full possession on a first hearing if children were involved.