Tenant Evictions Rising

Landlord & Buy-to-let Magazine 28 March 2011

Landlord Action, the National Landlord Association supplier in tenant eviction, has reported a significant rise in the number of instructions they are receiving from landlords wanting rid of bad tenants.

Paul Shamplina, Director of Landlord Action and former certified bailiff and private investor, comments, "In city centres, where there is an increased supply of buy to let property, we have seen a rise, year on year, of 20% in the number of landlords contacting us to help them evict their tenants due to non payment of rent and, whilst the numbers are on the increase, the length of time landlords are willing to give leeway to their tenants is decreasing. There are an increasing number of tenants losing their jobs and paying the rent is not always the top priority. Being just one month late with the rent can lead to the landlord experiencing mortgage arrears, so they are doing everything in their power to rectify the situation quickly. Our advice line for landlords has been overwhelmed with calls for assistance."

However, it's not only financial issues that are causing problems as Paul goes on to explain, "I have just completed some filming for BBC Breakfast News in which I was accompanied by a film crew when serving notice on a tenant who owed nearly £9,000 in rent. The landlord was a widow and mother of three who had bough the property to give herself an income when her husband died. She is now suffering from depression and is on antidepressants and painkillers. Her general health is not good and she told me her whole body was aching due to the stress."

For the landlord, the process of tenant eviction in this climate can certainly feel like it is geared up against them, "the courts are busy everywhere and some landlords are having to wait up to three months just to get a hearing date which means more lost rent. The judges and bailiffs are inundated as, not only is there landlord and tenant eviction cases to deal with, house repossessions are at a 15 year high, thereby increasing the workloads and meaning the landlord has no choice but to sit in the queue and wait."