2nd
Nov 2016
Across the whole of the UK there is a massive housing shortage and according to a South Gloucestershire landlord, his council is telling tenants to stay put in their 'homes' until bailiffs come knocking at their doors.
The landlord, Zak Roby, is going to have pay legal bills of thousands of pounds because the council 'may' have told the tenant to stay put in the landlords property until evicted.
South Gloucestershire Council denies the claims and has issued a statement that it does not support or instruct tenants to do this.
Roby informed his tenant at the end of June that he wanted to sell his apartment and gave her two months' notice to leave the property.
The tenant who has a young child went to the council for support and guidance from her case worker. She told Roby that she had received advice to continue living in the flat until forcibly evicted by bailiffs.
Mr Roby obviously could not believe what he was told and spoke to her case worker. He claims that he was informed that this guidance was now council policy as it is unable to re-house tenants until they are legally homeless.
Zak Roby said: "I am just incredibly angry and disappointed in the council. I can't believe they would issue such appalling advice.
"Not only is it causing me stress, but it is incredibly upsetting for the tenant and her young child to have to wait for the bailiffs and all because they say they cannot find her a home until she is out on the streets. What kind of a system is that?"
Two months ago the landlord applied to the court for an eviction enforcement order, and it is likely that the tenant will have to move out in the next few weeks.
Mr Roby said: "All of this for an extra ten weeks. I mean I could understand if it was a few years, but what is the point in a few weeks? What will have changed for the council in that time?
"Not only are they not thinking about the stress it has caused me, they are not considering the long term impact it is going to have on her life.
"Because I have done everything above board, the court case is a tick box exercise and she is going to be saddled with all of my legal costs, which she can't afford to pay.
"Plus she will never be able to rent in the private sector again as the county court judgement will mean she will fail any credit checks. So they have basically locked her in to the social housing system for life."
Because of his experience, frustration, stress and legal costs, Mr Roby is unlikely to rent out any other property in the future and feels that many other landlords may leave the private rented sector as he said: "It is a self-perpetuating vicious circle,
"Landlord are now becoming unwilling to rent to parents or DSS tenants because of the fear that the council will issue this advice and you are unable to ask them to leave you property however honourable your intentions are."
A council spokesman said: "We can confirm that we are assisting the tenant with her housing situation. We have a duty to provide tenants with accurate housing advice regarding their rights to occupy the property.
"We do not have a 'blanket policy' and each applicant's case is considered on its own merit.
"We do advise clients and landlords that the tenant has legal rights to occupy the property until a possession order is sought. A bailiff warrant has to be applied for by the landlord if the tenant fails to move out at the expiry of the possession order.
"We do not expect a tenant to stay illegally in a property and we would never advise a tenant to 'stay until the bailiffs arrive at their door'."
Richard Merrick of PIMS said: "It may seem that councils wish to have it all of their own way by inflicting 'draconian' licensing schemes and then 'advising' tenants to stay put when it is their legal obligation to re-house them as quickly possible. Some may say that this could be viewed as hypocrisy....however I could not possibly comment."
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