Updating post from Reddit.
Hey, I'm an accidental landlord at the moment. It's a 3 bed unfurnished non-HMO flat in Scotland.
I rent out to 3 tenants, 2 of whom said they were in a relationship when applying. As I understand it, this is all above board and doesn't require a HMO license.
Over the past year my estate agent has done two periodic inspections. The photos show that all 3 bedrooms are occupied and look extremely well lived-in. I'm also good friends with a neighbour and he's suggested that 2 of the tenants are not in a relationship...
Obviously this is all speculaton on my part, but is there any risk here of me having issues if they're not infact in a relationship? or could they use this information against me if I was to ask them to move out?
I feel obliged to add, I don't care about their private lives, I just don't want to break any legal requirements or have any trouble further down the line.
Cheers!
I wouldn't have taken that risk unless they were married or you knew they were committed long term.
I would suggest holding tight. They could cause issues for you but they would also be admitting having deceived you to some extent while doing so. I take comments from neighbours with a pinch of salt, it is very easy to get wrong impressions and while I always try and keep neighbours sweet I am very clear that any complaints will go no further than the conversation unless they are willing to put it in writing.
Evicting them would be difficult and expensive. Consider how likely they are to move of their own accord when they have perhaps squeezed the truth in order to reduce the cost of their housing.
Equally, even if two were in a relationship, why wouldn't they still want a room each, presuming the rent split is a third each anyway?
Even if they were married they could use separate rooms. I clean homes and there's a lot of 'yea don't worry too much about his room' from married coupes (I'm talking full bedroom set up not just a little man cave for watching tv and stiff)
Relationship can mean different things to different people - if they told you they were in a relationship and you accepted that in good faith then you’re in the clear. It would be very hard for an outsider - like the council - to prove the opposite and most councils are far too busy to involve themselves in the detail of tenancies in that way.