A friend of mine went to Howdan House today to hand in the keys for his dad who died over the new year. After waiting 40min he was told that he needed a death certificate to prove his dad was dead. And also he was told he needed to give one months notice. What crap how are you suppose to know when someone is going to die. Personally I would have left the keys on the desk and told them to get intouch with his dad. How inconsiderate can people be apparently they needed prove he had actualy died.:mad: :loopy: :confused: :rant: :mad:

Your best to make at least 10 copies of the death cert when you collect it, it's shocking how you can't do anything with out it. It's not what you want to hear after a death but everyone wants a copy.

Same thing happened when my Grandad died. My uncle threw the keys at them in disgust and told them to shove them up their arse

Same for my nan too

They should be able to take a termination of tenancy without a death certificate. This does need to provided at a later date though. Anybody with any sense would have took the keys from you and ended the tenancy within 7 days (the minimum they have to take)....they can do that...and they should have done.

when my uncle died we ended his tenancy straight away with the death certificate

Obviously still wanted to get more money out of someone who had passed away, how disgusting! I would complain if i were you, how inconsiderate.

When i ended my tenency i just left the keys on the counter, they wouldn't accept them because i had to give the months notice, they wouldn't accept my arguement that it'd cost me almost £20 to return them to them at the end of the notice and because the flat was empty they could start doing whatever work to it they wanted (i.e. ripping up perfectly good laminate!) they then threatened me with court action because i couldn't pay my notice period because my housing benefit was paying for another property! Sheffield Housing are a joke in my opinion, then again they're probably on par with Leeds actually!

they will probably also try to bill your friend for any imaginary damage that they think has been caused to the property, that's another of their favourites!

When my mum died just before xmas, I was told to take in a death certificate along with the keys and thats that, I'm still expecting a bill for a weeks rent though. Make sure you get a receipt for the keys though because they ask you you name and address as the next of kin, and you know housing, they lose everything.

it's the way of the world genuine people have to prove it 'cos of the liar's blagging the system.
if the agreement states termination period then you have agreed to a contract and are legally obliged to fulfill it. if the person who made the agreement passes away technically they have no claim on that persons family.

A friend of mine went to Howdan House today to hand in the keys for his dad who died over the new year. After waiting 40min he was told that he needed a death certificate to prove his dad was dead. And also he was told he needed to give one months notice. What crap how are you suppose to know when someone is going to die. Personally I would have left the keys on the desk and told them to get intouch with his dad. How inconsiderate can people be apparently they needed prove he had actualy died.:mad: :loopy: :confused: :rant: :mad:

Shocking that is, if theres one thing ive noticed in a lot of people in those sort of jobs,ie ones with a bit of authorisation,is the jobsworth style they use, i just wish some people would use a bit of common sense and inititive, u were right u should he should have thrown the keys id have made sure they went accidently on purpose in some ones face aswell.

Provided that the Death Certificate is given in with the tenants Keys and the accomadation is left according to the tenancy agreement. That should be the end of the story. Problems are often created when items previously owned by the person who as died are left in a dwelling. Who is resposible then? It can be a very differcult problem if the sequence of the tenancy agreement is not followed.

Provided that the Death Certificate is given in with the tenants Keys and the accomadation is left according to the tenancy agreement. That should be the end of the story. Problems are often created when items previously owned by the person who as died are left in a dwelling. Who is resposible then? It can be a very differcult problem if the sequence of the tenancy agreement is not followed.No we dumped everything and thats was another bloody nightmare getting permission to dump the stuff because we used a van.:confused: :mad:

A friend of mine went to Howdan House today to hand in the keys for his dad who died over the new year. After waiting 40min he was told that he needed a death certificate to prove his dad was dead. And also he was told he needed to give one months notice. What crap how are you suppose to know when someone is going to die. Personally I would have left the keys on the desk and told them to get intouch with his dad. How inconsiderate can people be apparently they needed prove he had actualy died.:mad: :loopy: :confused: :rant: :mad:

Here's the information that Sheffield Homes produce for next of kin:
Advice for relatives and next of kin
If you are responsible for clearing a property when a relative or friend dies.

• Advise Sheffield Homes as soon as possible. Tell the local Area Housing Office and say when you will be returning the keys.

• Rent continues to be payable until the keys are handed in. Sheffield Homes will claim any outstanding rent from the estate left by the deceased. If you wish to pay the outstanding rent on the property the staff at the local Area Housing Office will be
able to help you. Housing benefit payments cease on the first Sunday after death. Full rent is due each week after that.

• Remember to have the gas and electricity meters read before returning the keys.

• If your relative or friend had a city wide alarm pendant, please return it with the keys. The whole document called 'Moving Home' can be read here http://www.sheffieldhomes.org.uk/information-leaflets/tenancy-conditions/moving-home All the local housing office numbers are in it, I suggest giving the relevant office a ring and challenging the 4 week notice! However, it does state to contact them asap in these situations, ie before the property was cleared. If he did that, then they should have a record of it and any notice will start from then.

Here's the information that Sheffield Homes produce for next of kin:
The whole document called 'Moving Home' can be read here http://www.sheffieldhomes.org.uk/information-leaflets/tenancy-conditions/moving-home All the local housing office numbers are in it, I suggest giving the relevant office a ring and challenging the 4 week notice! However, it does state to contact them asap in these situations, ie before the property was cleared. If he did that, then they should have a record of it and any notice will start from then.
When your father dies and your trying to sort out the funeral etc this is the last thing on your mind.

When my mum died just before xmas, I was told to take in a death certificate along with the keys and thats that, I'm still expecting a bill for a weeks rent though. Make sure you get a receipt for the keys though because they ask you you name and address as the next of kin, and you know housing, they lose everything.

If you are billed for any rent under these circumstances then simply refuse to pay it. You cannot be held legally responsible and if they persist in their demands tell them that they should contact your mum. You should go on to explain the in order to do this they will need either a seance or the use of a ouija board.

You will find that in 100% of these cases the council back down as they know they haven't a leg to stand on. The same goes for any repairs, or cleaning of the house, that they might try to charge you for.

If you are billed for any rent under these circumstances then simply refuse to pay it. You cannot be held legally responsible and if they persist in their demands tell them that they should contact your mum. You should go on to explain the in order to do this they will need either a seance or the use of a ouija board.

You will find that in 100% of these cases the council back down as they know they haven't a leg to stand on. The same goes for any repairs, or cleaning of the house, that they might try to charge you for.

Yes but who wants the memory of a loved one tarnished by debt.

Yes but who wants the memory of a loved one tarnished by debt.

I take your point, but the way that I look at it is that it can hardly be the deceased's debt if it accrued after they died. It's just that the council don't have any means to enforce the debt against anyone else and so they have to take it on the chin.

The next of kin may not be liable for the debt but the estate left by the deceased certainly will.

I take your point, but the way that I look at it is that it can hardly be the deceased's debt if it accrued after they died. It's just that the council don't have any means to enforce the debt against anyone else and so they have to take it on the chin.

Agree with you 100%.
Its always a difficult time when someone you love dies and i cant help feeling the council take advantage of this with the way they insist you settle the rent.
My gran hadnt been in arreas once in over 40 years. Unfortunatly she had the nerve to die and as a result we had 3 weeks full rent to pay at £60 a week.
As with a lot of families it took a fair bit of organization to pull everyone together and clear my nans house. About 1 month before she went to St Lukes the house was decorated from top to bottom and it looked lovley.
It didnt stop the council cleaning and repairing it though to the tune of almost £200:loopy: .