Heres one for the BTL LL haters

socrates

Exposing Serial Bad Tenants

BBC London’s Inside Out knew just who to call on when Serial Bad Tenants were the subject of their regional current affairs programme (to be aired on Wednesday 18th February 2009), Landlord Action, the market leaders and longest serving independent company specialising in fixed fee property recovery and tenant eviction in England, Wales and Scotland..

Press release, Landlord Action - 11th February 2009

Landlord Action director, Paul Shamplina, is known in the business for his no nonsense and proactive stance. He knows that 80% of tenants won’t pay back arrears and it is his job to get them out as quickly as possible, limiting any further damage to the landlords pocket and stress levels.

For those in the regions - you can view the London Region programmes on Sky

http://www.landlordzone.co.uk/blog/press-releases/exposing-serial-bad-tenants

Out,_Vile_Jelly

Landlords have the security of vetting against potentially bad tenants, by requiring them to pay for the privilege of having all their details checked and providing a reference, and if necessary a guarantor. Unfortunately tenants have no way of knowing if their landlord is a convicted criminal, bankrupt, or shyster with a long history of dodgy dealings and disgruntled tenants.

There are bad tenants and bad landlords, but only one set enters the letting relationship with detailed knowledge about the other party.

IveSeenTheLight

Out,_Vile_Jelly wrote: »

Landlords have the security of vetting against potentially bad tenants, by requiring them to pay for the privilege of having all their details checked and providing a reference, and if necessary a guarantor. Unfortunately tenants have no way of knowing if their landlord is a convicted criminal, bankrupt, or shyster with a long history of dodgy dealings and disgruntled tenants.

There are bad tenants and bad landlords, but only one set enters the letting relationship with detailed knowledge about the other party.

In Scotland, you have to register with the government as a Landlord.

Registration of private landlords has a number of aims:

<LI class=MsoNormal>improve private renting in Scotland by enforcing minimum standards in letting <LI class=MsoNormal>oblige those not providing this minimum service to improve, or leave the sector <LI class=MsoNormal>allow tenants, neighbours and local authorities to identify and contact landlords and agents of private rented property
• provide information on scale and distribution of private rented sector in Scotland

To place a landlord on their register, the local authority will have to be satisfied that they are a fit and proper person to let property. The authority can take into account any relevant information including:

<LI class=MsoNormal>any relevant convictions, particularly in relation to fraud, violence or drugs <LI class=MsoNormal>any evidence that the applicant has failed to take adequate steps to deal with antisocial behaviour in his or her properties <LI class=MsoNormal>any evidence that the applicant has failed to comply with the law relating to housing or letting, including management, money and physical issues <LI class=MsoNormal>any evidence that the applicant has practised illegal discrimination in any business activity
• the fact and nature of an agency arrangement for the management of the property

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/News/Releases/2006/04/28144943

they just need to roll it out to the rest of the UK

Premier_2

What are you suggesting, Out Vile Jelly, that LLs just hand over keys to their properties worth £100,000s without carrying out any checks?

It doesn't seem like the checks helped much anyway in over 12000 cases :rolleyes:

BubbleFrogette

It's a two-way street. There are some bad tenants and there are some bad landlords, that's life. There needs to be systems in place to protect both. Fortunately, the days of landlords 'pocketing' the deposit immorally have gone, but some people will always fall foul of the systems I guess.

lesley1960

One thing that confuses me over the negative feelings for the BTL ...isnt all rented property in one way or another buy to let?

Out,_Vile_Jelly

Premier wrote: »

What are you suggesting, Out Vile Jelly, that LLs just hand over keys to their properties worth £100,000s without carrying out any checks?

No, of course not- I would just like to have a similar opportunity to find out about the kind of person I'm commiting myself to handing over a big chunk of my salary to each month. I wouldn't start a new job without doing a bit of research on my prospective employer. The Scottish initiative sounds like a step in the right direction.

Incidentally, I'm shortly moving out of my current flat and didn't hesitate to tell viewers (when I was there) that the landlady was great and that I'd been very happy there.

Premier_2

Out,_Vile_Jelly wrote: »

No, of course not- I would just like to have a similar opportunity to find out about the kind of person I'm commiting myself to handing over a big chunk of my salary to each month. I wouldn't start a new job without doing a bit of research on my prospective employer. The Scottish initiative sounds like a step in the right direction.

Incidentally, I'm shortly moving out of my current flat and didn't hesitate to tell viewers (when I was there) that the landlady was great and that I'd been very happy there.

So why don't you carry out 'a bit of research on your prospective LL'? Nothing's stopping you, except possibly the LL themselves ... and if they do, then alarm bells should start ringing.

Remember, a LL cannot carry out any checks on a prospective tenant without first gaining their permission.

janehp

I'm a LL, although only in a small way - 1 flat. But I would be very happy to provide potential tenants with information about myself. My current tenents (i.e. 1st and only ones) have been renting my flat for 2 years, hopefully that alone is a good recommendation

Out,_Vile_Jelly

Premier wrote: »

So why don't you carry out 'a bit of research on your prospective LL'? Nothing's stopping you, except possibly the LL themselves ... and if they do, then alarm bells should start ringing.

Remember, a LL cannot carry out any checks on a prospective tenant without first gaining their permission.

Do you think many landlords would be happy to pay the fee for a credit check on themself? I would be reluctant to ask in case they think I'm a troublemaker, and I expect many other renters feel the same. What I would like to see is an independent system whereby both sides are able to vet each other.

I've always wondered what happens to these rogue tenants- how do they get somewhere else to live when they presumably can't get references from the landlords they've skanked? I'd like to think such actions will come back and bite them on the bum one day.

Gingernutmeg

Out,_Vile_Jelly wrote: »

I've always wondered what happens to these rogue tenants- how do they get somewhere else to live when they presumably can't get references from the landlords they've skanked? I'd like to think such actions will come back and bite them on the bum one day.

Just going off my own experience, in all of the years I've rented (generally through letting agents) the previous landlord or agency references I've supplied have NEVER been followed up. So, I'd imagine that, allowing for a few lies on the forms and a disinterested agency carrying out the lowest level of credit check, it's fairly easy for these bad tenants to go from property to property, especially if they rent through agencies. Really makes you wonder why LLs use LAs, but I suppose they're useful to hide behind.