recover lost rent from tenant that ran off?

Question

I had this terrible tenant in my house. I trusted her, but things went sour about 3 years in, and she stopped paying my rent on time. She came up with feeble excuses. I had to take her to court, but the process took 6 months. Just before the bailiffs were going to remove her, she left. I don't know where she has gone, she has trashed the place up. She owes 3 grand of rent. I don't have her security deposit because she came up with some sob story about her daughter being abused and how she needed money. Franly I feel very ripped off and want some sort of retribution. She was on housing benefits. Any ideas ?

Answer 1

I had a tenant head off the Texas once (500 miles away - this was according to the neighbors but they were reliable). Rather than be mad about it, I had a little party that night. Yeah he trashed the place too, and it took alot of money to get him out - but at least with him gone I could fix the palce up and move on. Not trying to sugarcoat your experience, just saying that if you are going to be a landlord this is going to happen to you pretty often.

In answer to your question, if you can find out where the person is (and they are relatively near you) then you can take them to court for the money owed and damages. Still you may get a judgement that hurts their credit, but not much chance you will get any money out of this (since they seem to have no money). If you can't get an address, just forget about suing them and move on.

Note that you clearly did several things wrong. Why did it take you 6 months, it should've taken alot less. I suspect either you didn't get a proper lease or you waited on evicting them, or something. Anyhow, in the future do everything by the book and evict them immediately. Also, you gave them their deposit back. Never, never do this unless the person is out of the place (I've actually paid someone and given them their deposit to leave - talk about annoying but it was alot cheaper than an eviction was going to be - and I didn't give them anything until they were completely out of the place).

Look, you got ripped off, but your not the first one. There doesn't seem to be much you can do about it, expect learn from your mistakes and move on.

Best luck.

Answer 2

Unfortunately theres not a huge amount that you can do.

You could file a claim in the small claims court, but you would need to track her down and find her current address which could be difficult.

Also although you would win in court, it doesn't guarentee your money back, as if she's on housing benefit it suggest she doesn't have any money of her own, and you can't get blood out of stone! It will cost you money to file a claim in the small claims court, so if she doesn't pay you could actually end up losing more!

I woudl write the thing off as a bad experience, and be a lot stricter in future. NEVER give a tenant their deposit back before they have left, and never take late rent out of their deposit, as you need the full amount for when they leave to cover any damage. As soon as they pay late you chase them for the money, get them evicted, and file for the rent in the small claims court. It sounds harsh, but is the only way to stop the same happening again.

Answer 3

Your first answer is stable, it extremely is no longer earnings fraud. despite the fact that your mum might have a case against the interior of sight authority if greater desirable than 8 weeks arrears equipped up as they are meant to pay it directly to the owner after then, look at your interior of sight council's website approximately interior of sight Housing Allowance to substantiate this. 2 conventional factors, by potential of ways, which regrettably are unlikely to help your mum plenty now. at the beginning there are some circumstances the place the earnings might properly be paid directly to the owner, if it extremely is proved that the tenant has had previous hire arrears or is in debt case in point. the assumption of no longer paying it directly to the owner now's using fact it extremely is known to help the claimant get greater into this style of existence of 'stepping into artwork and budgeting'. Secondly, somebody who acts as a hire guarantor can specify a optimum quantity they pays as much as interior the settlement. i do no longer understand plenty approximately your mum's opportunities interior the small claims court yet you may examine up right here a thank you to circulate approximately it:

Answer 4

File in Small Claims Court. You'll need a good address on her to do that, however. Good luck, you're going to need it.

In the future, trust NOONE! You're running a business, not a charity. No deposit? No house! Pure and simple.

Answer 5

If she was on housing benefits then you have got her has they should have been paying you.Obviously they were not so she must have been getting the money.I would contact the DHSS.
Good Luck sorry its the council who pay the rent & sorry you have had such a bad experience.

Answer 6

Write it off. You can spend time and money taking her back to court, and you will probably win, but even a judges order isn't going to magically produce that $3000.

She hasn't got any money.

Answer 7

just put it down to experience you will not get any money and it will to attempt to trace her will also cost. this why people use lettting agents so they dont suffer in this way. digest and cut and run, forget it.

Answer 8

Put a judgement against her and hope for the best.

Answer 9

Its your own fault......waiting 3 yrs to do something about it.....your screwed, get over it.