Landlord discrimination – the last straw?

Landlord discrimination – the last straw?

0:01 AM, 16th October 2024, About 14 hours ago 1

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As we watch the supply of rental property dwindle and rents head North, I thought I’d add my latest experience of open discrimination against landlords by my local council.

So the situation is the tenant has done a runner, they are in serious rental debt and have faced legal action both section 21 and Section 8. The tenant has openly lied to the court and council with a hope of strengthening their position. A good ploy for tenants lying will likely always help you stay longer, cause huge stress and more cost for your landlord. I would always advocate that tenants lie because it will help their cause and there are no consequences.

So the property is a fixed AST that has turned into a periodic tenancy but as a landlord the tenant hasn’t legally ended the tenancy and may be inside. They have neither handed back keys nor advised they have left. They have left a car outside, curtains closed furniture and personal items are still in situ.

For the £1,500 question I would ask you who is responsible for the £1500 annual council tax? The answer of course is the landlord. Why you ask? In my case the tenant showed the council a receipt for a removal company and the fixed period of the tenancy that had expired years ago. The tenant had neither advised of their departure nor shown me the golden ticket removal bill.

The council in their twisted wisdom applied discrimination at the appeal I made, stating as the tenancy was in a periodic and not fixed state the landlord was responsible for council tax even though the council know the tenancy is not legally ended and under the tenancy the tenant is obliged to pay council tax.

I would add where problems arise the scales of justice have collapsed in favour of tenants and the council appeal process then bases it’s decisions on discriminatory rules. So watch as more landlords leave more tenants face higher costs and the problem of rogue tenants grows. I for one have rented to the most vulnerable in society and on occasion saved people from taking their own lives, but cannot afford to take the stress of risking this again.

What does the Propert118 community think?

Thanks for reading,

Paul


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TheMaluka

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10:22 AM, 16th October 2024, About 4 hours ago

Did your tenancy continue as a Statutory Periodic, the default condition, or a Contractual Periodic? In the former case the Landlord is responsible for council tax and in the latter the Tenant.
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1992/14/section/6

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