28^th Dec 2015

According to the latest research by an online letting agent, an increasing number of rogue tenants are preventing eviction by damaging their rented ‘homes’.

They are taking advantage of the new laws introduced in October of this year that were implemented to stamp out revenge evictions.

If any landlords who do not carry out genuine requests for repairs, will be banned from using a Section 21 notice to ‘retrieve’ their property back.

The letting agent claims that their research found out that 10% of tenants have caused over £500 worth of damage to their rented ‘homes’. The company believes that more and more tenants are trying to stop eviction proceedings by deliberately causing damage. The main reason for evictions is non payment of rent.

The company is backing up its claims by revealing figures that show, that property damage accounts for 56% of deposit disputes and is 17% higher than 2009.

Jane Morris, the managing director of the company, said: ‘While in principle the legislation is a good move, ensuring that landlords don’t evict tenants because of a genuine disrepair issue, it is open to dishonest tenants bending the law to avoid eviction. Landlords need to ensure that they make regular checks on their properties and handle tenants’ complaints about damage, quickly and efficiently. If landlords are suspicious that the damage is intentional to avoid eviction, they should consult legal advice.’