Illegally sublet! Help

[zebedee23]

Hi All,

I signed a tenancy for my new flat at the start of August. Being worried about [problematic] i googled the 'landlords' name and found his facebook and myspace pages, i signed the contracts in his office on oxford street, i even got ownership details from land registry. I had asked him for proof of ownership but when i saw that the owners on the tenancy matched the land registry info i relaxed my guard and thought everything was above board!!! How wrong could i be!!!

I get a knock on the door today, answer it and a guy in a suit asks me who am I and am I squatting the place. I showed him the tenancy and basically the geezer who rented the place to me had started a tenancy with the owners in march or april, he has added £200 to the rent & unlawfully subletted the property to me!!! Whats more he didnt pay the real landlord for the last month and had given notice asking the real landlord not to come round till a few days after my rent was due to be transfered into his account. Luckilly i have now stopped all payments to his account!! The owners first said they would think about having me as a tenant, he even said they may pay me my deposit back if i move out. I went to the police who were not interested in the slightest, wouldnt even take my statement, said it was a civil matter between the owners and previous teanant to be taken to small claims court!! Then the owners call me and say theyve thought about the situation and want me out by the weekend!!!!!!!! I think they are hoping i dont know anything about housing law and are trying to get me out fast so i dont have any time to find out. Unfortunately for them i squatted for 12 years & know a thing or 2 about my rights!! SO am i correct in saying that I am now a sub tenant and to evict me the owners have to give notice and follow normal eviction procedures to evict the previous tenant. I have a tenancy agrement between me and the legal last tenant, dodgy [EDIT] that he is! Also have receipts for rent paid and most has been by bank transfer!!

I cant believe the nerve of the guy to do this in his real name from his place of work!! & the police, dont give a stuff!! I know im an idiot, i should have demanded to see proof of ownership but i honestly thought i was being so careful!!

Any help or advice is much appreciated

Thank you all!!!

pat

[zebedee23]

also the tenancy agreement i signed was for 1 year if that makes any difference!! & sorry for the double post, it wouldnt let me edit the spelling mistake & ended up posting twice, if an admin can delete 1??

[MrShed]

You are a lawful subtenant ONLY if the original TA between owner and your landlord did not explicitly prevented subletting.

 

In any event, you cannot be evicted until "your landlord" is lawfully evicted.

Edited October 21, 2010 by MrShed

[Surfer01]

This could be a [problem] between the "other" landlord and the real landlord. They now want you out so that they cna [problem] someone else. Over a year it could be quite lucrative.

[zebedee23]

Also my deposit of £1710 is supposed to vbe protected by Hamilton Fraser Insurance deposit protection. Obviously its highly unlikely indeed that its actually there and it doesnt show up when i do a search on their site! Any chance of ever seeing my money again????? remember i know this c**ts name and work address though obviously for all i know hes about to skip the country!!! He still doesnt know i know and im expecting him to call in a few days to ask why i havnt paid the rent!! Should be pretty interesting eh!!?

[zebedee23]

Also as the mesne landlord(dodgy f**k) has now given notice to the head landlord(owner) does that mean that when the notice period has expired the head landlord can begin court proceedings?? Or does the head landlord still need to give notice before beginning court proceedings?? and if so how long is the notice period??

Thanx for any help!!!!!!!!!!!

pat