22nd
Feb 2016
The MoJ (Ministry of Justice) has just released figures stating that Birmingham landlords are responsible for evicting three private renters every 24 hours.
According to the MoJ over the last year 1,065 people were evicted from their privately rented homes in Birmingham and in the five years up to and including 2015, the total number of evictions for the City was 5,771.
In spite of the evictions being carried out lawfully, a spokesman for Generation Rent is shouting out about illegal evictions.
He said: “There are many reasons evictions happen and not all are the tenant’s fault,
“With renting now the only option for millions of people and their children, they need much better protection from losing their home.
“Losing your home means months of stress as you find a new place to live, local councils should help but the waiting list for council homes is colossal.”
A Birmingham landlord last December was found guilty of an illegal eviction when he threw out a mother her young son and tossed their possessions in the front garden of the property.
The landlord was in fact his own worst enemy as he had been previously been contacted by council officials and was told, that his proposed actions would be against the law.
The landlord ended up paying £4,044 costs on top the £1,035 fine that was slapped on him at the Birmingham Magistrates Court’s hearing.
The council has been funded £110,000 from the central government pot, to back up their efforts in tackling rogue landlords.
Councillor John Cotton the Cabinet member for Neighbourhood Management and Homes, said: “This new funding will enable the team to work with agencies across the city to tighten procedures, identify problems and target rogue landlords.
“As the private rented sector continues to grow it’s really important that we strengthen our work in this field and support the relationship between landlord and tenant for the good of all concerned.”
Richard Merrick of PIMS, said: “The majority of evictions costs landlords many thousands of pounds in lost revenues and are put into action simply because of unpaid rent arrears.”
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