Whether you’re a veteran property
landlord with years of experience, or a newcomer still finding your feet, now
is not the time to be going it alone.
After all, Starsky had
Hutch, Cagney had Lacey and Mulder had Scully (yep, I’ve watched lots of the
old ones during lockdown).
Retford area landlords
currently find themselves in a unique situation, one that won’t be back to
“normal” soon. This was made clear by the Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick last
week when he made two announcements.
Minister’s announcements
You’ve probably heard the
first one already: the ban on evictions has been extended in England and Wales
by another two months. It will now end on August 23, effectively creating a
five-month moratorium on evictions. This will create an almighty backlog for
the court system and prove particularly nightmarish for landlords with
anti-social tenants, or tenants who are perpetrators of domestic violence.
The second part of Mr
Jenrick’s announcement got a lot less attention in the mainstream media but is
still enormously relevant to landlords. The government is preparing “guidance”
for the courts concerning evictions. This is to ensure that when things get back
up and running “rules are in place to assist the court in giving appropriate
protections for those who have been particularly affected by coronavirus –
including those tenants who have been shielding”.
While I don’t yet know the
finer details of this, the government has said it expects landlords to exhaust
all other options, including flexible payment plans, before instigating
eviction proceedings.
What are the implications of
all this?
Before Covid-19, the
eviction process was stressful and took at least six months. Add in a
five-month backlog and an increase in cases due to Covid-19, and it is clear
things will become even more drawn out. If you’re having difficulty with a
tenant, you need to pursue all other avenues first.
A letting agent can help you
with this. They can take the burden off your shoulders and contribute different
ideas and strategies to deal with tricky situations. In these unusual times,
flexible and agile thinking is the order of the day.
This is no time to wing it
If you’re relatively new to
the lettings market, firstly hello and welcome! Secondly, a word of advice now
is not the time to wing it.
Even in “normal times”
(don’t they seem like a long time ago?) there were plenty of potential pitfalls
for landlords around deposits, maintenance, regulations, and tenant checks. But
right now, things are more complicated than ever. You must ensure you meet all
your legal obligations (the fines are enormous if you don’t) and stay on top of
any new announcements. Having an expert to help you do this will save you time
and money in the long run.
Old pros are in new territory
If there’s a word that sums
up 2020, it’s “unprecedented”. A few others that we won’t forget in a hurry
include “lockdown”, “furlough” and “shielding”. Even the most experienced
landlords are dealing with a host of issues for the first time. Good letting
agents are keeping abreast of the changing situation and talking to industry
bodies and colleagues in other parts of the country and sharing best practice.
Make your life a little easier and utilise this expertise.
A quick note: As I
mentioned above, there is concern about the eviction ban, particularly
concerning dealing with anti-social or violent tenants. The National
Residential Landlords Association is pushing for these cases to be fast-tracked
through the courts. In domestic violence cases, for example, landlords often
end a tenancy agreement and start a new one with the victim but without the
abuser. Many worry the lengthy delay in dealing with these cases is trapping
victims of domestic violence in unsuitable tenancies. This is something I am
watching very closely.
Letting agents are here to
support our community through these difficult times.
Contact me if you think I
might be able to help you.
Thanks for reading.
No comments:
Post a Comment