Another Rent Arrears Question!

Rent Arrears

As of tomorrow my tenants will be 3 months in arrears (£2300)

They have been in arrears earlier in the year and I issued Section 21, but they came through and paid up, so it wasn't enforced. They have always been good tenants and I know the guy had been made unemployed.

However I went to the house on 19th December with another Section 21.

The guy was not home and I spoke with his wife, also named on the tenancy agreement.

She told me that her husband had left her a month earlier, leaving her with 3 kids aged 5, 14 and 17.

He had assured her that he was paying the rent, she had no idea he was in arrears. She then burst in to floods of tears,

I am now at a loss as what to do?

They are a Russian family and have lived and worked here for over 5 years. I advised her to see if she qualifies for any benefits. She is currently waiting to see what happens.

If she does get housing benefit then I am quite happy for her to stay at the property with her children. I really don't want to make them homeless and while at the house I feel I have more chance of collecting the arrears.

But I need some advice as to how to proceed if I have to enforce the section 21.

Can the wife stay at the house and can I then do something through the courts to retrieve the lost rent from the husband who is the 'bread winner' which will be £3400 when then section 21 ends at the end of February.

Any advice is appreciated.