Q. I have sacked my agents as I don’t want them managing my property any more. However, they are refusing to accept this and have told the tenants to carry on paying the rent to them.

I don’t want this as I know they will then keep the money against the fees they say they are entitled to but which I am challenging. What can I do?

A. Write to the tenants telling them that you are the landlord and that the agents are no longer authorised to act as your agent. Tell them that it has come to your attention that the agents have told them to carry on paying the rent to them. Say that if they do this, this will no longer discharge their obligation to pay rent as you have notified them (i.e. the tenants) that the agents are no longer authorised. Say that if they pay the rent to the agents, they will still be liable to you for the money and you will be entitled to sue them for it through the courts.

Tell them that if they are concerned about this, they should take legal advice, but warn them in any event not to pay anything further to the old agents. Ideally you should get a firm of solicitors to write this letter for you, as the tenants will be more likely to believe a solicitor’s letter.

Q. I bought a property at auction with some sitting tenants. I got it at a low price as there was no paperwork available about the tenants. I now want to evict them but when I visited them they refused to let me have any paperwork to prove their tenancy type and just closed the door on me.

How can I force them to let me have this?