r/TenantsInTheUK • u/Demonthief27 • 13d ago

Let's Celebrate Illegal HMO - update

I posted in here nearly 2 months ago now.

https://www.reddit.com/r/TenantsInTheUK/s/dbzhvPsHYk

Thanks to some helpful advice I got in touch with my local housing team who inspected the property. It’s very clearly a HMO - 3 entranced to the building, 5 people living in the property.

Council did eventually come out to inspect, they were told that one of the tenants is actually a live in carer, by landlord and his dad who claimed to the person that 2 of us are lodgers and the third is his carer - as this happened the ‘carers’ dog walker came. They have also since had written confirmation that the person is a carer from the landlord.

I was informed of this, the council were going to close the case entirely at this stage and class us as “excluded occupiers”.

The ‘carer’ is in on the scam paying cash only, potentially also claiming carers allowance despite working full time.

I wasn’t going to allow this to happen, it rubbed me up the wrong way that these people would do extreme things in order to stop the people living in the building having their fundamental rights.

So I replied with screenshots of conversations where the ‘carer’ is offered another room for a price - slam dunk. How are you a carer for someone if you pay to live in their property ?

The council now are going to investigate the apparent carer now, he works in a position of responsibility so this could actually affect him now also, I don’t care he would deserve it.

The kicker - as he has been paying rent in cash, when it’s decided it’s a HMO and claims are made for rent back, he won’t be able to as he can’t prove the amounts paid.

Will follow up when the council have been to visit him next week, they requested a number for him but I couldn’t give it as it would be obvious I have been reporting this.

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u/hellvixen1966 13d ago

A carer can work part time and earn up to a certain amount and claim carers benefit. I do suspect they are dodgy but if they aren't then they are not necessarily doing anything illegal by working and claiming carers allowance

5

u/Demonthief27 12d ago

Yep, the apparent carer works full time, they aren’t a carer though. The doors to gain access to the property are locked with key and they never go to the landlords house next door.

Allowance aside he is part of it because when I mentioned that the landlord told the council he was the carer he agreed that’s what he is doing. It’s all very very dodgy. He’s happy to make it so he and anyone else have no rights as a tenant.

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u/hellvixen1966 12d ago

Did say I thought was dodgy...they sound horrendous

3

u/Demonthief27 12d ago

Well council just come back to me and basically said I either have to out myself as reporting this and still live here or they do nothing.

Obviously I won’t be doing that so that’s the end of the saga. People can cheat the system, not pay appropriate tax on the earnings and the councils don’t act. Just another reason to leave this country.

What’s the point in even having a housing standards portion of a council.