10th
Jan 2016
Once again the housing crisis is causing councils to take drastic measures by telling tenants not leave if landlords want them out.
Returning British overseas landlords cannot regain their property as councils have told tenants to stay put and wait for the eviction process to be rolled out, which of course is extremely time consuming and costly for the owner.
The areas where the problem is worse are Birmingham, London, the South and of course other cities where the demand is high.
David Lawrenson, of a buy-to-let consultancy said: "It's stupid, the councils are within their rights to advise people to stay on but it doesn't encourage landlords to take on people who are [financially] vulnerable."
It is more and more likely that landlords will be dealing with those tenants who will end up forcing them through the eviction process. At least five prospective tenants will apply for every rented ‘home’ and in London the average number of candidates is nine.
Successive governments have failed to build the required numbers of houses because of the steep rise in population due to immigration and longer life.
People who are paid low wages are finding it increasingly difficult to cope with the rent rises due to increased demand and lower supply of properties.
When asking for help from councils they are told that there is no assistance for them until they are made homeless; their best course of action will be to stay in their rented property until they are shown the door by bailiffs.
Richard Merrick of PIMS, said. “Sadly it is always this time of year that we get the most calls from members to help them with evictions. We explain the legal process to achieve an eviction and many new members are shocked at the time and cost...not forgetting the stress that they are enduring.
“The government is a major cause of the problem with increasing rents, the buy-to-let tax and lack of new builds is causing this and even right to rent checks will cost time and money.”
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