No Response or Contact from Tenant/Licensee

Noddy33

Hi All,

Just looking to get some information with regards current situation. I own and live in a 3 bed room property and rent out the two other bedrooms to what are therefore 'Licensee' and not tenants.

Since January I have not heard a word from one of the licensee occupants despite numerous attempts to contact via calling, text message and whatsapp messaging. Nothing received back to even acknowledge receipt of my attempts at contact him and have been able to see that his has been 'online' using their Whatsapp service so they can not use the usual disclaimer of 'sorry i lost my phone'......

I happen to be in the place of work over the weekend where the occupant was meant to be work and they informed me that he left their company to take up a job role up in Dublin. I sent him a message to let him know that his previous employer informed me of his new role in Dublin.

I am now in a situation where I am two months down in rent plus bills so decided to bag up all his personal items and put in to storage. I have the room advertised and will easily have a new licensee occupant in place for March. My question is what are my obligations to do with the troublesome occupants personal items? There are about three black sacks full of clothes, laptop computer and medication among some few other bits and pieces. Is there anything else i need to take in to consideration.

He still does have a key to the house but i have notified him to say that i have removed all his items and he needs to contact me to arrange collecting if that would like them returned. If he doesnt contact me am I at liberty to dump the items or even donate what possible to charity?

Set a deadline, take a picture of your WhatsApp screen to show it has been recieved and read, if he doesn’t pick up after that, dump it. You can’t be expected to store his stuff indefinitely.

Change the locks.

KOR101

Move very very carefully........who leaves a laptop behind?

KOR101

KOR101 wrote: »

Move very very carefully........who leaves a laptop behind?

? Someone who thinks the rent they owe is more than the computer is worth? Who leaves a computer behind, if it important to them?

Dav010

Dav010 wrote: »

? Someone who thinks the rent they owe is more than the computer is worth? Who leaves a computer behind, if it important to them?

I’d be more concerned about the medication left behind. My first port of call would be the Gardai, just in case there’s a sinister reason for their disappearance.

Mrs OBumble

It's a big GDPR breach for the employer to tell you anything. I'd have to wonder about the accuracy of the information though, how would the employer know if the housemates don't.

Like the previous poster, if someone who lived in my house didn't come home for two months, I'd be concerned about more than just missing rent.

Do you have any contacts for his family or friends?

izzyflusky

Probably not much help now but if you change locks I would highly recommend a smart lock in future. We take on lodgers sometimes but none get a key anymore. We give them access through the app and once they leave the access is revoked. Gives a lot of peace of mind!

izzyflusky

Probably not much help now but if you change locks I would highly recommend a smart lock in future. We take on lodgers sometimes but none get a key anymore. We give them access through the app and once they leave the access is revoked. Gives a lot of peace of mind!

Mrs OBumble

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

It's a big GDPR breach for the employer to tell you anything.

No it isn't. All he said he that he no longer works there and has moved on to take up job in Dublin.

This sort of exchange is absolutely common in any work place with people contacting looking for someone, needing to be told they have a new contact as someone has moved on etc etc.

I'd say I would tell external people who ask on a weekly basis about someone who has moved on, where they are gone and who they now work for now - all freely available info on Linkedin for most people also.

Getting sick of people pulling GDPR constantly over very normal stuff.

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

I'd have to wonder about the accuracy of the information though, how would the employer know if the housemates don't.

Any number of ways: contacted for a reference, told by the employee, saw it on linkedin, collaborates with the company he now works for etc etc

Noddy33

Deleted User wrote: »

I’d be more concerned about the medication left behind. My first port of call would be the Gardai, just in case there’s a sinister reason for their disappearance.

As just happened a Guard called up to door over the weekend in relation to querying an support door to door inquiries to support an investigation that happened in the town recently and he seen gathering up all items in to black sack While he was there i took the opportunity to ask him for advice as to what i should do and he said that these would be civil matters that they would never get involved in. He advised to just keep records of all attempt to contact and set a reasonable deadline for collection and if not then dispose of all items. I would be just worried if i have the right to dispose of items including things like medication, laptop etc and if there is anything else that i need to consider or be cautious of.

Also i can see on Whatapp that he is 'Online' but he refuses to read my messages so i do not get the blue 'Read' notification. But i have a screenshot of his Whatsapp showing him as 'Online' which demonstrates that he obviously has use and access to the app

Noddy33

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

It's a big GDPR breach for the employer to tell you anything. I'd have to wonder about the accuracy of the information though, how would the employer know if the housemates don't.

Like the previous poster, if someone who lived in my house didn't come home for two months, I'd be concerned about more than just missing rent.

Do you have any contacts for his family or friends?

have to say it was a young girl working for his previous employer that informed me that he left the company. in fairness she never told me what company he was gone to except to say he finished up 'few weeks ago and now working in Dublin'

I managed to track down a contact number for a brother of his so am going to contact him this evening. At this stage I have no want to recoup the lost rent and bill money........and just want to instructions as to what to do with his personal belongings so I can be done with him but obviously wont prefer to avoid situation where i have dump things like medication and laptop etc