3-month eviction ban extension and their fantasy world

Hi

I'll forward the link to my MP toninght. I've been fortunate todate with my portfolio and not suffered at all yet. Having said that I can see the danger of such policy. I also feel that such a move could just be the start, need I say rent control.

I have been supporting my tenants that have struggled during the crisis, but my ability to support them is fast running out, because one of our tenants that had arrears long before Covid hit. He is mounting up the debt, now 5 months in arrears and also causing rapid deterioration of the property and holding parties through the night. The paperwork has been done and its sat doing nothing at the court. The tenant continues to inject the rent into his arm whilst my decent tenants and I struggle to get through the crisis helping each other to do so. We were asked to show forbearance, but where is the help for us!

I've had 2 tenants just leave with no notice, because it was convenient for them to do so - they didnt like "my" rules on not allowing every Tom, Dick and Harry to visit the property and put their housemates at risk during lockdown (HMO's). Yet if I'd tried to evict them for some reason I wouldn't have been able to start proceedings. Almost a third of the remaining tenants aren't paying anything at all even though some are furloughed and appear to be having a jolly old time judging by the amount of empty alcohol bottles that are accumulating outside the properties. A proportion of the paying tenants have adopted an "I'll pay when I can" attitude and they believe it's their right to take a payment holiday, because "you can get a mortgage holiday cant you?"!
My rent income have decreased by over 50% due to unpaying tenants and the fact that I've not been able to fill empty rooms/properties.
This, along with the adverse effects on the holiday let business has been an absolute nightmare all round.

Reply to the comment left by Hardworking Landlord at 02/06/2020 - 11:06@Hardworking landlord - Did you see our article a few weeks back, - we're offering Free Advice.

Disgraceful government. I am a landlord where most of my tenants have moved out due to Coronavirus. I have hardly any income at all anymore, I cant re-let them due to lockdown, the banks have said they will help by suspending all mortgage payments for 3 months BUT will add the interest every month onto the initial loan thus increasing it by tens of thousands over the period of the loan (not very helpful after all). The government says i'm not entitled to any money as a result of being a landlord, i cannot even claim universal credit!. I have a family and my own residential mortgage, bills to pay, food to put on the table. Incredible.

Ive paid my taxes every year, for decades...for what?... So I now have, no income, loans increased, no help from anywhere!!!......well that's being a landlord for you in the UK. I'm selling everything up asap, and then moving abroad for a better quality of life where people who takes risks, pay their taxes and work hard are actually rewarded and not penalized by the government.

Its also interesting the amount of help for tenants but not landlord. Ive never met a landlord that causes their tenant pain and suffering so that the tenant does not have to pay the rent every month. Ive been in the business over 15 years only and never heard or seen a landlord causing tenants any heartache, in fact its almost always the other way around. Let the government reap what they sow. This will come back to haunt them soon.

Reply to the comment left by Christopher Tracey at 02/06/2020 - 15:49
One tenant did ask for a payment holiday day.. I agreed and reduced the rent. That tenant provided proof of hardship. Another tenant has not only failed to provide proof of inability to pay.. But, has, I have found out, being illegally sub letting my (single home) property as bedsits. Needless to say they are not allowing me access. I can do nothing.. The ban on evictions means they can continue to enjoy the sub letting income and pay nothing to me. With the ban on evictions being most likely extended (and a resulting Court backlog when ended), my tenant will have a year of rent free living and a sub letting income of 20k. The government does not care. Sure, I can report them to Inland Revenue and Local Council regarding a HMO licence but even such overworked bodies of take action (unlikely) I am facing financial ruin. But all landlords are greedy wealthy "rentiers", right?

I understand the ethos of tenants not having to be evicted if their rent arrears are due to the effects of Covid-19, e.g. if they have lost their job and for some reason cannot claim UC (or UC does not cover the full rent), but a simplistic "eviction ban" creates a situation where those with rent arrears, or other tenancy breaches (e.g. anti-social behaviour), that are absolutely nothing to do with COVID, are in effect protected from the natural and fair consequences of such breaches, i.e. eviction and a CCJ. This is not only unjust on the landlord, but is also unjust on every good tenant that does pay their rent and sticks to the terms of their tenancy. It is also unjust on the neighbours (or other residents of a HMO) who may have to continue to suffer the anti-social behaviour of a tenant who cannot be evicted due to the eviction ban.

Any further extension of the eviction ban would cause massive suffering for landlords, neighbours, and other tenants, as well as being a denial of justice.

Any further extension of the eviction ban would simply delay AND AMPLIFY the scale of evictions to come, and this would be to the detriment of tenants everywhere.

If evictions cannot take place, then home moves cannot take place (if tenants don't move out, then new ones cannot move in), so this would stagnate the economy as people would not, for example, be able to move to another area to take up work opportunities (as there'd be nowhere for them to move into to live).

If an eviction ban is required to ensure that people are not evicted due to the economic effects of COVID, then the ban should be specific to those people only, it should not be a blanket ban affecting all cases. Any tenant falling into this category could produce evidence to the court of their financial situation before and after COVID, including evidence of why they did not claim UC (or were unable to do so) to cover their rental liabilities. - This would then protect the innocent tenants from any unfair evictions, but allow the law to operate to enable the innocent landlords to recover possession of their properties.

Reply to the comment left by Yellard at 02/06/2020 - 16:29
Don't delay, report them today !

I feel so bad for all those impacted by our ridiculous government. My only consolation offer is that you make it clear that you will take every opportunity to repay proven rogue Tenants with referencing difficulties in future. Warn them clearly, coupled with the loss of No Fault eviction rights, Landlords will be extra cautious in future and their reference status will be crucial.

Reply to the comment left by David Twitchen at 03/06/2020 - 04:35
I envisage that ( savvy ) landlords will be strenuously vetting ( including Social media profiles ) of tenants, Post -Covid.19
In fact, we are already being approached by landlords asking for advice on selecting and setting up tenancies ( usually following a bad experience they've had )