Help Let property and problem tennants

[old.user4556]

Right,

I was having a quiet DVD in tonight as i'm at a golf tournament tomorrow when I encountered a problem with a neighbour.

I live in a top floor flat which is one of twelve in a block, it's pretty new and really nice. However, as part of the boom, some people have bought a couple of the flats and rented them out. Basically, the people in them seem reasonably decent but they flout the rules of the block regularly.

Over the past three years, we've had people smoking in the hallway, people with dogs shitting in the communal area, people with noisy kids, people with bad parking manners etc. Usually the factor gets involved and these people fuck off at the end of their lease.

There is a reasonably new Polish couple in one of the rented flats and they seem polite at face value. However, they look like they've had friends move in a few weeks ago and that's when the strong smell of smoke started to permeate the hallway on a daily basis. It's against the law to smoke in the hallway, and it's against the factor's rules. I bumped into the culprit in the hallway one morning and politely but firmly explained you couldn't smoke there.

It seemed to stop for the week, but tonight whilst watching a DVD, a strong smell of smoke came into the living room - I went into the hallway to find about eight Polish people standing around smoking. Again, I said they couldn't smoke there and it was against the law; and could they please smoke outside. One of the women flared up, started talking over me, shouting things like "it's a public place!". Now, they're smoking in the hallway because they're not allowed to smoke in the flat itself. Fucking idiots.

Anyway, it turns out that the Polish bloke living there is also runs a business from that flat with a large commercial sign plumbed into the ground of the flats.

Smoking aside (will need to get the council and the factor involved to deal with it), does anyone have any advice on running businesses from a let property? I thought there was a rule against it?

Edit: someone fix my spelling mistake on the thread title plz k thx

 

[Shagrat]

If its a council let then its a big no-no to run a commercial business from it.

If its a private let, depends on the lease, but I think most of the time its the same as with council.

 

[Ch3tan]

Yeah call the council, inform the factor. Smoking in public places is against the law, the council will want to fine the block and they will come down on the landlord to get them out. The running a business thing is the same, contact them both and let them deal with it, in the mean time talk to your other neighbours and get them to moan as well.

 

[Chilly]

depends how you define run a business.

I run a small business from my laptop, which happens to be in my flat normally. I dont sell sacks of flour from my window or anything so it's of no material impact on the lease imo.

 

[Ch3tan]

Just checked a fairly standard Assured shorthold tenancy agreement, running a business from the property is not allowed. If you can contact the landlord, then they have the option of serving them notice for breach of the contract.

 

[Bugz]

Just hope they actually get out then.

I was talking to my dad about problem tenants and getting them evicted, if they refuse, is not at all easy.