Illegal eviction prosecutions show crackdown on rogue landlords | Discuss

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Illegal eviction prosecutions show crackdown on rogue landlords
01/02/2016
3:11 pm
News @ Tenant Referencing
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According to the Local Government Association (LGA); councils are cracking down on rogue landlord for some of the worst cases of illegal evictions, with four councils securing successful prosecutions in one month alone.
However they are calling for the legal process to be speeded up in order to bring more cases to court.

Two of the landlords recently prosecuted by councils have narrowly avoided jail after forcing tenants out of their home without following the correct procedure.

The LGA, which represents more than 370 councils across England and Wales, said the recent prosecutions show local authorities won't allow unscrupulous landlords to bully tenants out of their homes.

Here are some recent council prosecutions regarding evictions;

  • In Birmingham, a landlord was prosecuted for illegally evicting a couple and their seven children from their home, changing the locks and shoving the family into the garage. The offence cost him more than £2,000.
  • Also in Birmingham, a landlord was forced to pay more than £5,000 after illegally evicting a mother and her 11-year-old son, putting her belongings in the garden and changing the locks. When she regained access using a locksmith he had the locks drilled out, leaving her too scared to stay at the property.
  • In North East Lincolnshire, a landlord received a suspended prison sentence after a tenant returned to the flat to find the locks changed and some possessions removed. The landlord said he thought the tenant had left the property.
  • In Middlesbrough, a landlord was given a 12-month community order after forcing her way into a home and evicting a family with young children, bundling their possessions into black bags.
  • In Manchester, a landlord was fined £3,500 after removing a family illegally and making them homeless.

The Government recently announced the £5million extra funding put in place to help councils tackle rogue landlords and the Housing and Planning Bill includes provision for maximum fines of up to £30,000.

Peter Box a LGA housing spokesman commented: "Councils won't hesitate to take irresponsible landlords to court and show the consequences they may face if they don't apply the law correctly. Making people homeless by bullying them out of their properties, changing locks and removing personal belongings is not only a criminal offence, but also traumatic for the victims. When relationships break down between tenants and landlords there are strict legal processes that have to be followed and council officers are here to help both sides move forward. No landlord can act outside the law and councils will do everything in their powers to ensure tenants can live in rented properties safe in the knowledge that local authorities are there to protect them from illegal eviction. Failure to follow the right eviction process could leave reckless landlords with a criminal record and an unwanted new home themselves – a prison cell.”

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04/02/2016
1:02 am
PaulBarrett
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It is likely that these evictions were caused by failure to pay rent

Tenants are wrong in remaining in the property and not paying rent and yes LL are wrong in not concluding the eviction process in entirety

Yes the LL were wrong but you can understand why they reacted as they did

These circumstances just highlight how not fit for purpose the current eviction system is

Ll are often in an ibcidioys position

I would readily illegally evict if that meant I could rent to another tenant and prevent repossession

Mortgaged LL don't have the luxury of allowing the stupid eviction process to play out

One reason why LL who choose not to use RGI in mitigation of any eviction costs etc are at severe risk of losing their property in the event they need to evict

This drives them to understandable extreme measures resulting in illegal eviction

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