This article is an external press release originally published on the Landlord News website, which has now been migrated to the Just Landlords blog.
Recently, we revealed that landlords in England and Wales repossessed 42,000 properties last year, which equates to 115 per day. This is an 11% increase on 2013.
Members of Landlord Referencing have taken to the forum to discuss the issue, after one landlord stated: “Despite the fact that the data shows that the increase is in the social sector, the private rental sector continues to get the blame.”
Landlords Discuss Eviction Rate
Indeed, it was found that social landlords made 62% of possession claims.
The landlord explains why they believe this to be: “The reality is that people are not paying their rent, and are being evicted from social housing for rent arrears, because social housing providers cannot balance their books and are preparing for the national roll out of Universal Credit, which their colleagues in the pilot areas have seen increase their arrears and cost of collection.”1
Another landlord, calling themselves girltalk, took to the forum to defend landlords, stating: “No good landlord evicts a good tenant. That is so obvious, why do people not understand it?”1
Another landlord, Paul Barrett, blames the tenants. Speaking of Bedroom Tax, he says this has nothing to do with rent difficulties: “All they have to do is have a lodger!
“They refuse to do so, and consequently choose not to afford the rent out of their usually other extensive welfare benefits. If they choose not to afford their rent, then they should move into the private rental sector.”
Barrett defends disabled tenants who have suffered from the Bedroom Tax, but says for most tenants, it has been “correctly applied.”
He continues: “Social housing should be for the normal domestic tenant circumstances. The Bedroom Tax is a brilliant idea to ensure social housing goes to those with the need for a relevant number of bedrooms.”1
The issue concludes with one member, Paul Routledge, suggesting that insurance claims should also increase, due to landlords having to cover lost rent and eviction costs.
