Landlord fined for dumping father and son’s belongings on street and changing locks

MobileSaver

Grumpy_chap said:

moneysavinghero said:

Maybe we need a new name for Landlords. Calling them landlords gives them a feeling of superiority that leads to actions like this.

Being a Landlord is running a business and the tenants need to be respected as customers that have a choice and can take their business elsewhere. 

I agree but it works both ways and tenants need to respect the contract they agreed to with the landlord in the first place; the most fundamental aspect being they promised to pay the rent in full and on time each month.

I wonder if you would have done all those things if your tenants were say four or more months in arrears with their rent?

Grumpy_chap said:

Landlords that take actions such as those in the OP's article are a dis-credit to all Landlords and do not deserve to be in the business. 

I disagree and fully understand why the landlord did what he did when it is well known that many councils practice gatekeeping and practically encourage tenants to stay in the rental despite not paying rent. If I were a landlord I'd actually offer to start up an online whipround and contribute myself to pay his legal costs.

[Deleted User]

Whilst i would not break the law in the manner of this landlord, I can see that many will regard his eviction in terms of good old british fair play and a matter of just deserts. Having a tenant live in the property and not pay rent. Id be better off getting robbed in the street.

Mickey666

TBH, since government announced the lockdown restrictions on evicting non-paying tenants I'm surprised there have not been more incidents like this.

It's obviously distressing for the tenant but the Landlord is a victim too - there are no winners in this sort of situation.

theartfullodger

Should have been sent to jail for this criminal offence.  Courts sadly almost always too lenient for such appalling landlords.  

Landlords can and have gone to jail, plus bigger fines, for illegal evictions similar to this 

[Deleted User]

I wonder if the landlord can still put in a small claim for the arrears.

moneysavinghero

[Deleted User] said:

I wonder if the landlord can still put in a small claim for the arrears.

All £75 of it.

Michael_Bear

Comments on face book post are disgusting. Renting out a property is an investment for the high returns there's a degree of risk.
I think landlord should have a  criminal conviction. Just so I'm not landlord bashing, some are great and I think attachment of earnings should be used more when it's obvious to court the tenant can pay but is just not/spending money on luxuries.

Grumpy_chap

MobileSaver said:

Grumpy_chap said:

Being a Landlord is running a business and the tenants need to be respected as customers that have a choice and can take their business elsewhere. 

I agree but it works both ways and tenants need to respect the contract they agreed to with the landlord in the first place; the most fundamental aspect being they promised to pay the rent in full and on time each month.

I wonder if you would have done all those things if your tenants were say four or more months in arrears with their rent?

Letting a property is running a business.  Running a business is taking a risk.  The risk reduces the higher the quality of the product and service offered.  I ensure that property is offered to rent only in a condition I would want to rent, and I treat people only in the manner I would want to be treated.  I have only once withheld any of the deposit - that was a painful "hit".

In regards to the single mother referenced upthread, she had been in difficulty at a point and spoke to me and we worked out a solution amicably that kept everything working forwards.  By being fair, she then wanted to keep her end of the bargain also, and did so.

MobileSaver said:

Grumpy_chap said:

Landlords that take actions such as those in the OP's article are a dis-credit to all Landlords and do not deserve to be in the business. 

I disagree and fully understand why the landlord did what he did when it is well known that many councils practice gatekeeping and practically encourage tenants to stay in the rental despite not paying rent. If I were a landlord I'd actually offer to start up an online whipround and contribute myself to pay his legal costs.

Too many landlords start from the very premise that the tenants are bad people and fail to give them any respect.  Perhaps because the landlords are too over-leveraged that they cannot absorb any kind of financial "hit" so have to bear down unreasonably on the tenants.  That is no way to run a business - every business needs sufficient resilience to tolerate the bad customer without penalising the remainder.

The rent arrears in this case was on £75 and the tenant had already given notice to leave within a couple of months. Landlord's actions were entirely unprofessional.

[Deleted User]

moneysavinghero said:

[Deleted User] said:

I wonder if the landlord can still put in a small claim for the arrears.

All £75 of it.

Ah about what i paid to refuel this morning. I didnt just drive off because im not a thief.

MobileSaver

Grumpy_chap said:

MobileSaver said:

Grumpy_chap said:

Being a Landlord is running a business and the tenants need to be respected as customers that have a choice and can take their business elsewhere. 

I wonder if you would have done all those things if your tenants were say four or more months in arrears with their rent?

Letting a property is running a business.  Running a business is taking a risk.  ... I treat people only in the manner I would want to be treated. 

I agree but you didn't answer the question asked; would you have done all those things if your tenants were say four or more months in arrears with their rent?

Grumpy_chap said:

The rent arrears in this case was on £75 and the tenant had already given notice to leave within a couple of months. Landlord's actions were entirely unprofessional.

Unless you are aware of more details than the rest of us, that is an unsubstantiated claim by the apparent ex-tenant so may or may not actually be true.

Regardless, whether the arrears were £75, £750 or £7,500, the overwhelming response from the public is in support of the landlord's actions and I think, as @[Deleted User] suggested, people are fed up with those who think they can get away without paying their way.