Lifestyle
My tenants are making themselves intentionally homeless – and it’s not my fault.
When they called me last month, I thought it was to thank me for the new boiler I’d arranged to have fitted. Imagine my surprise therefore when they swerved my question about the new boiler and smacked me straight with: “We need to ask you something important,” and cleared their throat, noisily.
“OK...” I replied, feeling a little hesitant.
“We need you to serve us with a Section 21 notice.”
“Excuse me”, I said, “you need me to do what?”
“I’m sorry”, was the reply, “we’re very happy here, but we can’t afford another penny more and we need to have another bedroom for our child. They’re growing up and we can’t stay here or afford to move elsewhere.”
Momentarily stunned, I hesitated. The tenants, a husband and wife with a young child, had been model tenants for three years. I knew their living arrangements were less than ideal in a one-bedroom flat, but with the cost of renting in London soaring, I knew their situation was one borne of necessity.
What had flummoxed me, however, was given they were good tenants (keeping the place clean and tidy and paying the rent on time), I had kept their rent increases to a minimum. An equivalent one bed in this desirable area lets for around £400 more per month than I was charging.
Perhaps I am naïve. Given the flat is spacious with a separate kitchen/diner, I had allowed them to reconfigure the living room as a bedroom as something that needed to be done to suit their needs. I decided it was just furniture and that I would raise this subject next year when the child was older, and perhaps the living arrangements were no longer suitable.
“I’m sorry,” I said, “I’m trying to understand this. Are you asking me to evict you?”
“Yes,” came the immediate response.
“You do understand there is a housing crisis? You do understand how difficult it is to find accommodation?”
“Yes, we have no choice, that is why we’re asking you, please. We know you’re a good landlord and you will understand. We cannot afford a two-bedroom – we must apply for a council house.”
“A council house!” I spluttered. “There are over a million people waiting to be housed, what makes you think you will get a council house?”
“I’m sorry,” came the answer, “we have no other choice, please will you serve us notice.”
The dejection and defeat in my tenant’s tone of voice ripped my heart out. I wanted to argue more, but I knew it would fall on deaf ears so I switched tack.
“Section 21 notices are legal documents. They cost money to prepare and once executed you will have to go to court and bailiffs could also be involved. There will be many expenses and a lot of stress. Your family may be out on the street with nowhere to live.”