A petition calling for evictions after two weeks’ rent arrears has attracted 10,000 signatures – two months after being launched.
Property investor Ranjan Bhattacharya launched the petition in early October calling on the government to enable landlords to start evictions once a tenant falls more than two weeks behind in their rent.
The government has been under growing pressure to protect tenants from the threat of losing their homes during the coronavirus pandemic, following the end of the temporary ban on landlords evicting tenants, but Bhattacharya wants to see more done to help buy-to-let landlords.
Buy-to-let landlords could be facing up to two years without rent due to the government’s decision to introduce a six-month eviction ban, the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) recently calculated.
Tenants across the UK are facing months of rent arrear payments as a consequence of the current pandemic.
Bhattacharya said: “There are laws in place to protect shop keepers large and small. Not paying rent is also theft with the landlord being the victim.
“In Australia, tenants can be evicted for being 14 days in arrears with rent. Let’s have that system here [in the UK].”
He added: “The current system is unfair to landlords. If a tenant doesn’t pay rent then it can take a year for Landlord to regain procession. In that time the landlord still has to pay mortgage and other costs. This can ruin many small-scale landlords.
“Furthermore, it incentives landlords to only rent their properties to tenants with higher than average income who are likely to care about getting a bad credit rating.
“Let’s have an Australian style system which aims to be neutral between landlord and tenant.”
The petition, which you can view by clicking here, will need 100,000 signatures in order to be considered for a debate in parliament.
Comments (11)
As a previous advocate for the 14 day eviction process I have come to the realisation that this is unrealistic. This occurred after various comments etc from Paul Shamplina. However the 14 day process may be just extended. So what should happen is after 2 months rent default which is 1 month and 1 day where rent is paid in advance monthly. This is how most rents are paid. There should be a notice served the day after the 2nd rent default giving 14 days notice to vacate. If on the 15th day the tenant hasn’t vacated then the LL may if they so choose remove the tenant and their belongings to the street. Police assistance to be used if necessary to remove the tenant. No court action required at all. The 14 day notlce would need to be personally delivered. NOBODY would be able to say the notice wasn’t delivered to the respective address. It would just be a formality anyway as all tenants would know they have 14 days after 2nd month rent default to either pay ALL rent arrears or vacate. NO LL would be permitted to remove a tenant on the 15th day if the tenant could prove and validate that all rent arrears had been paid. Giving cash to the LL on the day would be the best proof with the LL being required to issue a receipt. The LL would then be prevented from evicting until another 2 months rent arrears occurred again. I appreciate that many tenants would game the system but at least LL would know that only 2 months rent arrears would occur. A deposit will cover some of the defaulted rent but at least the LL gets to recover their property after 46 days. Not a perfect solution but surely far more acceptable to LL compared to the current circumstances. This fast track eviction process to only occur for rent defaulting. All other reasons to use the S8 process. Invariably when tenants are subject to eviction court processes they stop paying rent therefore exposing themselves to the fast track eviction process. Their choice! My suggested eviction process would be far fairer and would save inordinate court time. After all rent defaulting is hardly subjective. Full contractual rent either has or hasn’t been paid. It is not a matter for debate.
Totally baffled by the above Paul, ?
You seem to start by arguing Against 14 days for applying to te court for eviction, – then say Landlords should be able to Self-evict WITHOUT a Court order on the 15th day ?
Sorry I thought I explained it. So 1 month of rent arrears of 31 days 2nd month of rent arrears 1 calendar day Day after this issue a 14 day NTQ 15th day LL removes tenants with Police assistance if necessary. That is a total of 46 days. Not sure how you thought I was citing 14 days. I used to cite that until I became aware of managing debt etc would be impractical. If on the 46th day tenants have NOT repaid ALL rent arrears then the LL may remove them. So my 14 days has now become 46 days. More than enough time for tenants to sort themselves out or wait to be removed on the 46th day since 1st rent default. Of course all this is pie in the sky. Basically just delusional ramblings from me. No way will Govt allow such a timely eviction process only in cases of rent arrears. Indeed they fully intend to make eviction a lot harder than it currently is. You think it is tough enough already. You just wait til you see what Govt has in store for LL. Eviction will be made nigh on impossible which is why I’m getting out of the game. Tenants have become only too aware of how to game the system. No way am I prepared to house for free at my considerable expense some ****** of a feckless rent defaulting tenant before I can eventually evict.
I think in this god awful situation as a human being ??? Questionable,, your a greedy bastard
Who do you suggest is being greedy!?
Certainly NOT the LL requiring contractual rents to be paid.
The greedy ones are feckless rent defaulting tenants who greedily consume rental accommodation without paying for it.
But I guess from your ridiculous left-wing perspective you consider any LL who requires to be paid the full contractual rent as simply beyond the pale.
We LL disregard idiotic views of people like you.
@ Meandeveryone ( hoping that ever Tenant isn’t like you – infact we know that 95% of tenants are responsible and don’t accumulate arrears. The problem is with the small percentage of Rent-dodgers, or Feckless, as Paul aptly puts it )
Are you advocating that its acceptable for people not to pay their lawful debts ?
All tenants should be forced to pay their rent arrears by deductions from wages or benefits and not at £1 per month for 60 years!!
If paying rent arrears means tenants have to use food banks then so be it.
They have consumed free accommodation.
Tenants can’t have it all.
LL don’t provide free accommodation though Govt tries damn hard to make sure LL do!!
A pity that this story does not appear on Letting Agent Today.
The various Landlord blogs out there have some individual bias as to who and what articles they’ll publish.
I think sadly they take them from those who advertise with them and pay them money, rather than the merit of the subject.
Great effort Ranjan, and only an example of what a lot of other Landlords should be joining –
Joining together and Fighting back.
I cannot believe Landlord apathy, for the Government, we must be like shooting rats in a barrel, it pains me to say.
The problem we have is that 10,000 signatures just gets us a bland reply from Government cloaked in sophistry. Even 100,000 signatures just means a debate in Parliament where the vast majority of MPs are against us. But it is still a great effort and a way of publicising the horrendously unfair possession rules which have recently been put in place.