Avoid costly and embarrassing mistakes that could easily lead to your prosecution.
The TFP Helpline is a vital source of information to help you run your business with answers at your fingertips. Common issues that we help solve are:
- Deposit Protection problems
- Serving Notices - which notices to use & when
- Problems with tenant move-outs
- Gas, electrical, furniture and other regulations
- Tenancy Agreements - which agreement to use and how
The helpline is not a "legal" service and we cannot take cases to court on your behalf. It exists to help you understand the law and your obligations under it. We also try to provide solutions that do not involve going to court, much like a mediator might. If legal advice is needed or court action is to be engaged in please consult a regulated solicitor.
Opening Hours: Monday to Friday 9am – 5pm (except public holidays)
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Questions Answered
What is the position if a landlord decides that he will not rent to a non-EEA persons?
That will almost certainly be perceived as unlawful discrimination. The right to rent has nothing to do with ethnicity. Someone of, for example, Jamaican origin may hold a valid British passport. A person from a non-EEA country will not automatically have rights to reside in this country, Russia being just one example. Identity checks have to be carried out on all prospective tenants regardless of nationality, race or ethnicity.
A tenant advised that a rent payment would be delayed due to an emergency. However, the rent payment has been processed by the bank. The tenant has contacted us demanding the return of the money. What are our obligations?
If the rent is contractually due, then you are not obliged to return the money. Seek instruction from your landlord in respect of how to move forward in solving this issue. It may be that you can persuade the landlord to agree to refund the tenant but it is important to get the landlord's authority to do so.
We have a tenant from abroad who seems to have gone home for the holidays but has not returned. All their goods are still in the house. What should we do? The tenant is now 2 months in arrears.
Best thing to do first is to make contact with the school and make sure that this is the case. If it turns out that he has abandoned the property then you can serve a Section 8 for the arrears and possession and take it from there. Do remember that you cannot just dump the goods as per legislation related to abandoned goods.