DPS queries

[chrisaaaaa]

Ok, following on from my question  how to do a rent increase? - clearly not like that, so now with the new tenants

 

I went overboard on all the ID malarkey, photos, scans and verification by an external agency. I gave instructions for everything, new fire and CO2 alarms, all demonstrated, govt silly brochure, meter readings, bin collection, utilities, inventory, AST, safety certs, EPC, legionnaires assessment and DPS info. All signed for.

 

It took flippin' ages, the tenants must have thought I was mad.

 

 

The new tenants are a married couple, on the DPS PI I put his contact details down and got both to sign.

 

I registered the deposit in his name, the online system asked about other tenants and the percentages of the deposit each had provided, so left her off.

 

DPS said I should add her as another tenant, I asked them straight out if I need to reserve PI, I did not get a straight answer but they did say no further action is required from me.

 

So in a quandary, do I do the PI again, possibly making things worse down the track by making it look like I did something wrong? Or just serve the PI+T&Cs again squeezing her name in next to her husbands?

 

It all seems like nonsense to me, married couples are a joint and severally liable unit, if one leaves no-one would expect me to return half the deposit. Not the same thing as joint tenants at all.

 

So long as the limit is 30 days, to do it again if I must I have a week.

 

Views?

 

 

 

[Tim Wragby]

Chris

Within the PI there will be boxes for up to 3 or 4 tenants.  If you have not cut them off when creating your first PI I would amend the existing PI and get them to sign this also.  If not I would re-create the PI and include both tenants with all their correct details.  The DPS are notorious for not answering any questions as they are anally averse to thinking that they will give the wrong advice and hide behind this.  I have had more than one blunt word with their system and you get nowhere.

The bottom line is that a savvy tenant could take you for 4 x the deposit if it were proved in court that you did not serve the correct PI and not serving a new form is probably not worth the risk - albeit a small one as it requires a very motivated tenant who is willing to pay up from for taking you to court.  There are a few, but they are still rare.  All the other paperwork such as Ts & Cs can be re-used I woul just ask for it back and re-fasten it to the new PI form.