Camerons Britian – ‘Battery hen tenants’ still have no idea how the PRS works
Although there are so many points of reference for tenants in the PRS to access, it would seem that many private tenants still remain unaware of the law when it comes to being evicted.
This was actually bought to the attention of landlord Paul Routledge yesterday, whilst attending an eviction of one of his tenants.
Paul said: ‘When myself and the bailiffs turned up at the property, my tenant was so confused about what was happening to him; even though we had followed all the necessary eviction protocol. Initially he wouldn’t leave, stating that he still had 28 days! When I told him he had already had an extra 28 days he then tried to blame his non-payment of rent on some ‘damp’ in the corner. This had already been proven to be a humidity issue rather than an actual mould problem and when I pointed this out to him he then tried to divert my attention to the ‘mould in the fridge’ (?!) – ignoring the fact that he had obviously been using the carpet as his personal ashtray for the last 3 years!
This tenant had been told by family that he’d never work a day in his life, so hadn’t for the last 20-odd years. But when this government pushed him back into work and off benefits he just didn’t understand how to manage his money or pay the rent, seeing his wages purely as his beer money. And herein lies the problem: when you release ‘battery farmed tenants’ into the wild after years of a subsidized lifestyle many just don’t know how to cope with the normalities of society, e.g. paying their way!’
Paul concluded: ‘I actually felt quite sorry for him, at just how clueless he truly was! However, his details are now on our database so you don’t have to take him. Not because we don’t feel for the fact that he doesn’t understand, but quite simply why should us landlords keep taking societies misfits from a government that can’t cope?! Especially in light of the fact that the only support we get from that government is continual legislation and higher taxes – as the farmer said to his chickens; Don’t peck the hand that feeds you!’ > Tenant alert reference: NATIONAL/SM/04032016
There are two ways you can start the eviction process, using a:
- Section 21 notice – for eviction after a fixed term has ended
- Section 8 notice – for eviction at any time, including during any fixed term
The 3 steps of eviction are as follows:
- Written notice to leave (Section 21 gives the tenant two months),
- Take the tenant to court and get an order for them to leave,
- Enlist a bailiff, who must have a valid warrant from the court to carry out the eviction.
PLEASE NOTE
For ASTs starting on or after 1st October 2015 you need to provide the following documents to tenants at the start of each fixed term tenancy, in order to successfully serve a Section 21 notice:
• Gas appliance safety certificate
• An energy performance certificate (EPC)
• The government’s document called ‘How to rent: The checklist for renting in England’
What with all the new legislation in the private rented sector going on, landlords need to band together and protect one another from each others bad tenants; sending a clear message that this sort of behaviour will not be tolerated any more.
Furthermore, good tenants are really starting to value our system too; just have a read of these latest reviews:
Erin Vallente reviewed Tenant Referencing – 5 star – 17 hrs ·
This team were fantastic. Professional and understanding of my busy circumstances. They were patient, helpful and quick to respond to my emails.
Related topics:
New possession and rent rise forms introduced
