{"id":2174,"date":"2021-05-25T10:04:44","date_gmt":"2021-05-25T09:04:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tayloremmet.co.uk\/blsblog\/?p=2174"},"modified":"2021-05-25T10:04:44","modified_gmt":"2021-05-25T09:04:44","slug":"can-you-become-a-landlord-by-accident","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tayloremmet.co.uk\/blogs\/can-you-become-a-landlord-by-accident\/","title":{"rendered":"Can you become a landlord by accident?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Can you become a landlord by accident? According to Anna Pettinger, it is not as uncommon as you may think, but doesn\u2019t hold any weight with the courts\u2026<\/p>\n

I accidentally became a landlord and wasn\u2019t aware of my duties and obligations. Will the court understand?<\/span><\/h3>\n

You would be surprised how often I am contacted by individuals who claim they became a landlord by \u2018accident\u2019 and did not appreciate they had responsibilities until it was too late.<\/p>\n

It is not as unlikely as you may think. For example, I have seen cases where properties were owned jointly by family members and one of them allowed a friend to stay temporarily in return for rent, without making the others aware of the implications.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, it is not an excuse that will be accepted by the courts. If you own a property and allow someone exclusive possession in exchange for money, by definition, you are a landlord.<\/p>\n

Allowing anyone to reside in your property gives rise to a tenancy – however informal the agreement and regardless of how friendly you are – and you will be required to comply with a landlord\u2019s duties, without exception.<\/p>\n

What are my responsibilities as a landlord?<\/span><\/h3>\n

As a basic rule, you need to:<\/p>\n

1. Obtain any licenses required to rent out your property.<\/p>\n

2. Make sure any deposit taken is protected by a government-backed tenancy deposit scheme and provide your tenants with a copy of its prescribed information and certificate within 30 days of receipt.<\/p>\n

3. Ensure you obtain an energy performance certificate and provide a copy to the tenant.<\/p>\n

4. Provide the tenant with current gas safety and electrical certificates, along with the \u2018How to Rent\u2019 booklet, which can be downloaded from the government\u2019s website.<\/p>\n

All of the information you need give to the tenant should be done before your agreement commences.<\/p>\n

Can I serve notice on my tenants?<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

If you want your tenants to vacate the property, the usual route is to serve them with a Section 21 notice. Because of the Covid pandemic, this will currently give them six months to find new accommodation, although in normal circumstances, it is two.<\/p>\n

If the tenants do not leave at the end of the notice period, you need a possession order from the courts to evict them. To take this step, it is more important than ever that you have complied with your duties and that all paperwork is in order.<\/p>\n

Failure to protect the tenants\u2019 deposit in an appropriate scheme may enable them to claim compensation from you of up to three times the deposit amount. This is in addition to having their deposit returned.<\/p>\n

Local councils are also issuing hefty fines to landlords who have not carried out the required safety checks. These can be as much as \u00a330,000.<\/p>\n

Bearing all this in mind, I would recommend always seeking independent legal advice before allowing anyone to move into your property – even a trusted family member!<\/p>\n

For more information about complying with your duties as a landlord, don\u2019t hesitate to contact me. Email: anna.pettinger@tayloremmet.co.uk<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Can you become a landlord by accident? According to Anna Pettinger, it is not as uncommon as you may think, but doesn\u2019t hold any weight with the courts\u2026 I accidentally became a landlord and wasn\u2019t aware of my duties and obligations. Will the court understand? You would be surprised how […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":40,"featured_media":1865,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1487],"tags":[929,1392],"class_list":["post-2174","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-business","tag-landlord","tag-tenant"],"yoast_head":"\nCan you become a landlord by accident?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"According to Anna Pettinger, it is not as uncommon as you may think, but doesn\u2019t hold any weight with the courts\u2026\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tayloremmet.co.uk\/blogs\/can-you-become-a-landlord-by-accident\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta 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