Tenant eviction specialist Landlord Action is calling for a rogue tenant list to be drawn up by the government to complement the proposed blacklist of persistent rogue landlords and lettings agents.
The Housing and Planning Bill currently making its way through Parliament proposes tackling the worst offenders in the private rental sector with the introduction of banning orders and civil penalties of up for £5,000 for rogue landlords, speeding up repossessions of abandoned properties and producing a rogue landlord and letting agent blacklist.
It is currently suggested the blacklist of rogue landlords and agents would be available to local authorities and central government, enabling them to keep track of those who had committed offences.
Paul Shamplina, founder of Landlord Action, is calling for the government to show greater equality by including rogue tenants and agents with multiple money judgements against them by landlords for non-payment of rent.
He also believes that all associations and redress schemes within the private rental sector should also put their banned members on this list and that all the information should be made public.
Shamplina said: “At present, there is no central database where possession orders with money claims are registered, as the courts do not recognise possession claims with arrears as a County Court Judgement. If they did, this information would show up on tenant referencing.
“A rogue tenant can move from property to property running up rent arrears and it does not show up on referencing unless the landlord goes to additional expense of trying to enforce the money order. If we are to protect landlords at pre-let stage, in the same way we wish to protect tenants, this should also be made available.”
According to a survey by the Department of Communities and Local Government on rogue landlords, 92% of respondents agreed there should be a blacklist of persistent rogue landlords and letting agents. Shamplina believes making the information available to the wider public would support those reputable landlords and agents and act as an effective deterrent.
Last month, the Local Government Council said it wanted to see the proposed database listing landlords who are subject to banning orders expanded to include private landlords who have other housing-related convictions.
It called for a national database covering all housing-related convictions to be created to help councils crackdown on “postcode” rogue landlords who are endangering tenants’ lives.
The LGA, which represents over 370 councils in England and Wales, believes serial criminal landlords, who are blocked from operating by some boroughs running licensing schemes, may be moving to other postcodes.
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I agree, I believe this is an excellent measure that should indeed be implemented for the protection of both tenants and landlords.
Speaking as a homeowner with tenants from hell next-door, with a private landlord with a history of putting in trouble tenants, I think the laws on private landlords are much too soft!
In response to C Killick, I fully sympathise with you. However, landlords do not want problem tenants. They want tenants who pay the rent, look after the property, and get on with the neighbours.
It’s all too easy despite credit checks and references to find the tenant has a stereo the size of a family car, and an full belief that their wage/ salary is for them to spend, and what’s left (if anything) can be used to pay their bills. But the landlord cannot simply remove them for non-payment of rent, or for disturbing other locals. They have to spend 6 months through the courts, being fought by organisations like Shelter, to regain possession of their investment, at a loss of both no rent and property damage.
It’s the laws on tenants that are too soft, preventing the landlords from evicting the problem tenants and housing decent tenants.