What to do when your tenant stops paying their rent When a tenant fails to pay the rent on time this can be a considerable concern for the landlord. There steps that a landlord should take to deal with the situation.

Firstly, contact the tenant to find out whether there has been a bank error or whether there is some sort of financial difficulty for the tenants. It is always best to try to understand what is going on and to think about the options you want to offer to assist with the situation.

If you are unable to contact the tenants through your usual contact method then try all alternatives methods you have available.

If you are unable to contact the tenants at all there are strict conditions you must adhere to when trying to visit the property. The normal notice methods should be stated in your tenancy agreement. You cannot simply turn up at the tenant’s property without proper notice. Tread carefully as you have no way of knowing what is happening in your tenants’ lives, they could be in hospital for example.

If you believe that your tenants have abandoned your property again there are strict rules around the steps that need to be followed and the timescales for any action.

If you are not experienced with rent arrears or the re-possession processes it is wise to seek professional advice. There are many organisations that can help in these situations. At Orchard K Lettings we take all initial actions to address rent arrears on behalf of our landlords who use our Fully Managed Service. We keep our landlords updated on progress and actions required and stand by their side throughout the whole eviction process if that is needed.