problem with old landlord

[winnieskip]

hi, a friend of mine has recently left a privately rented property. It was initially rented through a letting agent. The landlord wanted to collect the rent monthly in cash, directly from her. She never had a rent book and he didn't always issue her with a receipt.She moved out recently, after asking repeatedly for things to be sorted with the house (mould etc),she was told to leave.He has now started turning up at her new property stating that she owes £4,000 in unpaid rent and will take her to court if not paid, she acknowledges she owes approx. £2,000 and is happy to pay that but is concerned that without receipts she doesn't have a leg to stand on.I think the whole set up seemed unusual. Any help/ advice???

[PAWS]

Re: problem with old landlord

Hopefully one of the clever beagles will come along and help but if your friend cannot prove she paid him then he cannot prove she owes it! Does this Landlord have other properties? If so has your friend spoken to any of the tenants past or present. This may be something he has tried before. There is something a bit doggy about a landlord who insists on cash. For a start I suspect he is not declaring his full income. Did your friend’s new / current landlord get a reference from him when she applied for her new place?
Tell your friend to remember she is being hounded by someone who is not quite whiter than white. She should take the high ground and ask him to prove she owes the extra £2k. If he is a doggy operator then he just might back off. After all he cannot take someone to court for money he doesn’t want HMRC to know about!

[winnieskip]

Re: problem with old landlord

Thankyou Paws. I think this is his only rental property, he apparently inherited it from his father when he passed away. I'm not sure about the references or deposits etc, i'll check with her. I also have concerns about him coming to her new property asking for money all the time, surely this is harassment?

[PAWS]

Re: problem with old landlord

I think it is. She needs to take a firm line with him. If I was her I would tell him that she does not want to discuss it on the doorstop. As I say, I do not know quite what her legal position is and someone on here might be able to clarify that but I think she should draw a line here and tell him all further contact must be in writing. Then close the door. I would tell him if he continued to come around she would lodge a complaint of harassment.

[winnieskip]

Re: problem with old landlord

Thankyou, will let her know.