One Good Turn Deserves Another - How Mediation can Help when Tenants Fall Out with Each Other as Well as with You

Landlords will be well aware of the pitfalls of HMOs. Taking on multiple tenants – who often tend to be students – comes with its risks as well as its benefits. Student parties, rent arrears and personality clashes can all lead to an unhappy property. Add into the mix that the occupants are all individuals with their own tenancy agreements, and this can make the prospect of harmony seem like a distant dream.

Charlie’s story

Charlie had three tenants in an HMO – let’s call them Peter, Paul and Mary. Peter had a problem sleeping well due to the constant slamming of Paul’s door and had complained about this issue to Charlie. Charlie had in turn asked Paul to take more care when closing their door, but the slamming noise persisted. Peter stopped paying his full rent, seemingly out of frustration. Mary got wind of this and thought that she might as well stop paying her full rent too!

Charlie realised he had reached an impasse with his tenants and asked us to approach all of them to see if they would agree to mediate. Peter and Paul agreed, but Mary was more elusive.  

What was the problem really about?

After Peter and Paul agreed to use mediation, we were able to understand that they were not on speaking terms with each other due to the persistent door slamming. Peter had been so angry about the noise that he had shouted at Paul, which had escalated the situation, ending up in an argument. Charlie in turn had berated Paul over the noise, and Paul had never got as far as explaining that the real issue was a problem with the door itself, which meant he had to be ‘firm’ when closing it. Everyone had ended up being so angry with each other that the root cause of the problem was overlooked.

We’re here to help everyone

Once two of the three tenants had agreed to mediate, we were able to understand that the problem was with the door itself and not with the tenant. Charlie was able to arrange a repair, and Peter paid his rent arrears safe in the knowledge that there would be no more banging doors.

We weren’t able to get hold of Mary, who kept a low profile (no doubt behind her own door). However, shortly after Peter paid his rent arrears, Mary did too.

Why you should use mediation

Evicting tenants and chasing rent arrears through the court takes time and money. What’s more, the courts will expect you to try and resolve matters before using the courts. The Property Redress Scheme tenancy mediation service can resolve the situation amicably:

• It’s quick – we typically reach an agreement in 10 to 15 working days
• It works – tenants work with us once they realise we’re not just on the landlord’s side
• It saves you time, money and stress – we find fast practical solutions without incurring expensive court proceedings

Call 0203 907 1857 to find out more or start your mediation.