Why is Section 21 required?

We recently saw a story where a landlord is facing £29,000 of rent arrears. It is for exactly this reason why we have been campaigning in favour of keeping the so-called no-fault eviction process known as Section 21.

Unfortunately there are rogue tenants and we must retain an efficient process in place for landlords to evict them.

A Landlord in Warrington, Cheshire was recently left with rent arrears of circa £29,000 by one of his tenants. After finally regaining possession of his rental home, this landlord had to spend £2,000 on clearing the property of rubbish and waste. He also faced additional costs of thousands of pounds to repair the damage that the tenant caused to the property. According to reports, the walls of the house were coated in grime and mould. The floors were littered with half-eaten food containers, pet food and medication. Almost all of the fixtures and fittings, including the carpets, were damaged beyond repair. This is inequitable. Nobody who rents out a property should be faced with circumstances such as this.

Can the Landlord Recover Costs?

Legal for Landlords, the law firm who represented the landlord him in the repossession of the property, do not feel that the landlord is likely to recoup the rent and expenses owed.

Sim Sekhon, Managing Director, said, “This case illustrates why plans to abolish Section 21 are so dangerous for landlords’ rights…. It is vital to have a robust legal mechanism in place to reach a resolution in a timely manner. In fact, a Section 8 notice was used in this case because of the amount of damage caused and the extent of the rent arrears."

As Sim points out, however, there are numerous cases where that just wouldn’t be appropriate. "Section 8 alone doesn’t have enough teeth to protect the landlord and, for many, it’s frankly a terrifying thought that this outdated legislation is all they may have to protect their interests".

We wholeheartedly agree with this statement.