It seems landlords want the process changed to allow for quicker evictions of problem tenants and they want it quick smart. Fair enough I say; this has been a problem area in our industry for far too long. I am all for giving the tenant a decent go but at the moment the balance is all out of whack.
This latest push for change is being lead by Landlord Action. It is backed by the Residential Landlords Association plus Mike Weatherley, Tory MP for Hove and Portslade in Sussex.
Paul Shamplina, spokesperson for Landlord Action on the issue, said: “We are seeking changes to the law in order to speed up the eviction process. This is particularly important when there is a clear case of non-payment of rent or anti-social behaviour.
They are also pursuing the very worthy goal of more access for landlords to their own properties when the tenant is behaving in a reprehensible way.
Quite rightly the powers behind this recognise the difference between cases where there is suggestion that the landlord is in the wrong, these will genuinely take longer to sort out. Say an example where the property has been poorly maintained but there are cut and dried cases where the tenant is simply not paying rent or damaging the property or both.
There is no need for the long drawn out process landlords are forced to endure in such circumstances. Often they are pulled into debt themselves or have to watch while their investment is devalued.
Quicker evictions, now. The push has my full support.