The majority of people in private rental accommodation, claiming benefits or otherwise, pay their rent on time and cause no problems whatsoever. But according to the Daily Mail, one Scottish family have managed to rent luxury family homes and abscond without paying the rent three times in a row now.
Three Landlords Out of Pocket
The married couple have seven kids and are currently living on benefits, but since 2011, they have managed to accrue a massive £21k in outstanding rent payments to three separate landlords. In each case, the landlord in question claims that the couple moved out without paying the rent owing, which naturally left the landlords significantly out of pocket.
The couple left the first property allegedly owing the landlord £6k. They moved into a second property and although a deposit was paid, no rent was forthcoming for nine months. The landlord eventually asked the council to make Housing Benefit payments directly to him, but it still left him out of pocket to the tune of £15k. It is also alleged that the couple have recently vacated a third property whilst owning a sum of money.
How to Prevent Tenant Rent Issues
The best way to prevent being taken to the cleaners by a tenant is to scrupulously check references before you let them sign a tenancy agreement. Repeat offenders are unlikely to have glowing references from previous landlords, and if they do, they are probably bogus. So check everything and if your instinct is telling you something is wrong, listen to it!
