It was widely reported at the beginning of the week than ‘super
landlord’, Fergus Wilson, had decided to issue eviction notices to 200
of his welfare tenants. At the time he justified his decision by telling
reporters it was a business decision based on financial reasons, but in
the wake of a flood of criticism calling him ‘heartless’, he has hit
back at his critics by saying:
Fergus Wilson Hits Back
“If I am heartless all the other landlords are heartless, because we’re
all doing the same,” he said. “All the landlords will tell you that
there is so much default now with housing benefit tenants that you are
just simply better off with somebody working.”
Wilson did confess to Channel 4 News that he felt guilty about the
people he was evicting, even going as far as to suggest that “some could
be in dire circumstances”, but it hasn’t changed his mind about the
decision. He remains adamant that things can’t go on with more than 50%
of his welfare tenants in arrears, which is something that an awful lot
of landlords will probably be able to empathise with.
No DSS Tenants
Wilson isn’t the only landlord who doesn’t want housing benefit tenants
and many letting agents make a point of saying ‘NO DSS’ in their
advertising materials. Indeed, the NLA reported in December that only 1
in 5 of landlords questioned were willing to rent to tenants in receipt
of benefits, although in some parts of the UK, landlords don’t have much
choice because working tenants are few and far between.
Landlords: is your experience of welfare tenants good or bad? Let us
know in the comments section!
