How to find out broadband/phone supplier

[richie00boy]

I have a property I rent out and the tenant has been evicted. I have used checkers online to identify the utility suppliers, but I'm at a loss how to find who supplies phone/broadband or even if there is a supplier (tenant may have been cut off). I'd rather not wait for a letter as that could be weeks/months. It's unlikely the tenant had an expensive package but I still don't want to be paying for something like that when it could be cut down to a minimum during the remedial works.

If a new tenant starts up with whatever provider they choose will they be able to do that without knowing the existing supplier?

 

[Trevorleach]

Surely not your issue, just wait for demand letters to turn up then contact the provider explaining on so and so date the tenant left the property with no forwarding address.
New tenant can sort out whoever they want to use, again not your issue.

 

[ajlelectronics]

Not your problem, their contract is with the tenant. New tenant can make their own arrangements.

 

[winchman]

Would the router not tell you?

 

[aesmith]

If a new tenant starts up with whatever provider they choose will they be able to do that without knowing the existing supplier?

Yes. The process of taking over phone line and/or broadband is initiated by the new provider.

 

[hotponyshoes]

If the router is still there trying to login to the WiFi would probably tell you.
Or plug a phone in and dial 150, there is a decent chance that will put you through to customer services of whoever is supplying it

 

[Robotstar5]

Not your problem, their contract is with the tenant. New tenant can make their own arrangements.

The problem is the new tenant will be plagued with increasingly threatening letters from the previous supplier so it's best to get it sorted before re-letting.

 

[richie00boy]

There is no router and I don't have a phone to plug in to dial out.
I just want to avoid being billed for the period between the tenant leaving and the new tenant coming in, which will be another month or more.

 

[hotponyshoes]

There is no router and I don't have a phone to plug in to dial out.
I just want to avoid being billed for the period between the tenant leaving and the new tenant coming in, which will be another month or more.

You won't get a bill as it will be in the previous tennents name.
I suppose you could just wait for one to arrive but they might well be on paperless billing & direct debit so they will cancel it anyway.

 

[OJCar]

Borrow or buy a land-line phone and plug it in the point and try ringing 150
https://www.argos.co.uk/product/3924358?clickPR=plp:6:10
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Landline-T...=cheap+landline+phones&qid=1706612158&sr=8-14

Try contacting OpenReach via the link on this page
https://www.openreach.com/building-...r-network/for-consumer-and-business-customers

Sometimes they can tell you which ISP the connection is with.

 

[bricol]

You could buy my big button BT 2200 off ebay with postage for less than that

 

[richie00boy]

So maybe I'm overthinking this. If the previous tenant hasn't cancelled the package then maybe it doesn't matter that they left on a date long before the next tenant, they will still be liable. If they did cancel then nobody is currently supplying so I don't need to worry about a bill.

 

[Trevorleach]

So maybe I'm overthinking this. If the previous tenant hasn't cancelled the package then maybe it doesn't matter that they left on a date long before the next tenant, they will still be liable. If they did cancel then nobody is currently supplying so I don't need to worry about a bill.

When tenant goes all you are responsible for is gas/elec/poll tax and insurance, anything else in tenants name is nowt to do with you.
All you need to do is empty the place, titivate it up and be amazed at how much current rents are.

When our last tenants went the utility co charged me for several months worth of gas, and annoyingly I had to ring them and say we had not used any gas, not possibe they replied, yes possible I said as your gas meter man disconnected the house as he could not get the so called smart meters to work!

 

[hotponyshoes]

So maybe I'm overthinking this. If the previous tenant hasn't cancelled the package then maybe it doesn't matter that they left on a date long before the next tenant, they will still be liable. If they did cancel then nobody is currently supplying so I don't need to worry about a bill.

Yes, it's the previous tenant that's liable.
It can not be passed onto you or the new tenants.

However, your first post suggests you think the tenant may have outstanding debts/unpaid bills.

That could cause an issue. If they owe virgin media £500 for fibre and the new tenants also want fibre and virgin are the only suppliers in that area they are unlikely to want to connect up a new contract against an address that has outstanding debt.

Worst case, they owe loads of people money and you will start getting debt collection/recovery letters at the address.
You still have no liability on those but it might take a few phone calls / letters to tell everybody the tenant is no longer at that address.
Make sure you state the date they moved out/contract ended (whichever is later) and inform them that you do not wish to receive any further correspondence.

 

[Robotstar5]

....Worst case, they owe loads of people money and you will start getting debt collection/recovery letters at the address.
You still have no liability on those but it might take a few phone calls / letters to tell everybody the tenant is no longer at that address.
Make sure you state the date they moved out/contract ended (whichever is later) and inform them that you do not wish to receive any further correspondence.

I had that with some ex-tenants when I was letting my mums house, the clever companies have a box on the back of the envelope for you to fill in a forwarding address then post it back to them

 

[ajlelectronics]

Worst case, they owe loads of people money and you will start getting debt collection/recovery letters at the address.
You still have no liability on those but it might take a few phone calls / letters to tell everybody the tenant is no longer at that address.

I am getting DVLA letters and other official correspondence to my flats. Someone unknown generated an address that is an amalgam of the two separate flats and registered vehicles and all sorts to it. I just write "Unknown party, address doesn't exist" on them and pop them back in the post box.

 

[qwakers]

dad has that issue, after informing the dvla the first couple of times, i got fed up with the effort involved so now i use the sold it to a trader option on the dvla website and put the business name as "i'm a crack head pull me over ltd"..... and their address as their local police station.(or local to where the first fine comes from)

 

[richie00boy]

When tenant goes all you are responsible for is gas/elec/poll tax and insurance, anything else in tenants name is nowt to do with you.

OK I have sorted those already.

However, your first post suggests you think the tenant may have outstanding debts/unpaid bills.

That could cause an issue. If they owe virgin media £500 for fibre and the new tenants also want fibre and virgin are the only suppliers in that area they are unlikely to want to connect up a new contract against an address that has outstanding debt.

Worst case, they owe loads of people money and you will start getting debt collection/recovery letters at the address.
You still have no liability on those but it might take a few phone calls / letters to tell everybody the tenant is no longer at that address.
Make sure you state the date they moved out/contract ended (whichever is later) and inform them that you do not wish to receive any further correspondence.

Yes I think they weren't paying their bills. We have a good selection of broadband providers in this area so hopefully the new tenants can find something to suit there requirements should the previous supplier whoever they were decline.

I have an eviction notice so can give the new tenants a copy should anybody come to their door, but seems like it shouldn't get that far if we respond to any letters.