28^th Dec 2016

Landlords are having to face more day to day pressures as 'rogue' tenants are on the rise, with increasing debts of unpaid rent, property and possessions being left in a disgusting state. A leading journalist calls for more protection to be given to private landlords.

Emma Lunn has written an article for The Spectator demanding that 'a register of rogue tenants' should be introduced as quickly as possible and should be readily available in the public domain.

Lunn highlights that fact that 'rogue landlords' face fines and even penal sentences, whilst 'rogue tenants' get away with everything virtually scot free and are able to "fleece one landlord after another”. Many landlords who suffer because of a 'moonlight flit' by tenants disappearing owing large amounts of unpaid rent, have no real legal support in attempting to claw back the money as the law deems it a 'civil matter' and not a crime.

The only recourse landlords have to is to take the perpetrators to the Small Claims Court however even if ruled in their favour there is still little chance in ever receiving the full sum.

Lunn said: “As is stands, a rogue tenant can move from one property to another leaving a trail of rent arrears and unpaid bills in their wake. Tenant references are fairly easy to fake while credit checks don’t show if a tenant has paid their rent on time.

“If the government is keen on protecting tenants from rogue landlords, why not protect landlords from bad renters too?”

Richard Merrick of PIMS said: "It makes perfect sense for this type of register to be introduced, however it is unlikely that it will ever see the light of day because of various 'rights' issues."


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