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Editorial:

Landlords can look forward to operating their businesses under a new coalition government regime, which is likely to be very different.

Whether this changes things for the better remains to be seen, but so far the signs are quite good.

We’ve been saying for some time now that the increasing red-tape and bureaucracy, either already effective or planned, by the outgoing government, was in the main detrimental to both business and to landlords.

Given the new coalition government’s stated aims of cutting red tape and reducing the deficit, the impact on landlords will be both positive and negative. Certainly, the abandoning of HIPs and the proposed landlords’ register, and a block on more red-tape is a very good start.

Good news for many will be the commitment to review the new Planning Use (class 4) regulations brought in by the out-going government, confirmation in the emergency Budget (see pages 10 & 11) that Furnished Holiday Let tax changes are to be cancelled, plus the better than expected Capital Gains Tax (CGT) changes.

However, landlords in London and the South East will be most affected by the proposed review of Housing Benefits, but it has to be acknowledged that there are some real anomalies in this very expensive scheme despite the introduction of a complex Local Housing Allowance (LHA) system.

Many landlords are still looking to invest as they appear to have largely weathered the storm; the economy and the housing market appear to have stabilised, interest rates remain low and rental demand is still strong and likely to remain so.

However, obtaining finance at the right price is very difficult and lenders criteria appears to be stacked against business portfolio landlords, favouring one-off buy-to-lets. As the economy struggles to recover, any further rise in unemployment will inevitably lead to more repossessions and tenant defaults – we are not out of the woods yet.

Despite earlier fears, the budget has been relatively kind to business and property investors. Whilst the VAT increase and increasing income tax through the freezing of allowances for 3-years will have their effects on activity generally, the rise in CGT for high rate tax payers to 28% should not have a great impact on investment.

The Avoid the Voids Webinar hosted by UPad which I took part in recently was highly successful (see Page 7) resulting in more of these events being planned in the near future.

Tom Entwistle – June 12010

Content provided by Legalhelpers Limited – www.legalhelpers.co.uk

Budget Analysis provided by: TWD Accountants – http://twdaccounts.co.uk

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Editorial:

Have the days of the amateur landlord really come to an end? Well, it’s certainly more difficult than it was to make landlording profitable, but it’s by no means impossible.

Being in one of the few remaining “cottage industries” – and likely to remain so given that lettings management does not scale-up in quite the same way as does retailing – the small guy can compete on equal terms with the big corporate investors.

How many councils or corporate managers will turn out immediately at 10pm on a Saturday evening to deal with a power cut, as I did only a few weeks ago?

Given the likely growth in the market over coming years the government (national and local) will increasingly encourage corporate and professional investment, but they must still rely to a very large extent on the Private Rented Sector (the small to medium sized landlording businesses) to satisfy demand and to supplement a much needed national housing pool.

Renting is a UK industry with a total asset value many times in excess of industries such as motors; it provides employment for up to 1m landlords, both part-time and full time, and a large army of letting agents and property managers.

Furthermore, private renting contributes so much to government objectives – a flexible and mobile work force and much needed accommodation to the immigrant and down-and-out population.

But, to remain viable, as in most walks of life in an advanced society such as ours, landlords must adapt and learn to be more professional in their approach to running their lettings businesses.
The industry is notoriously let down by a relatively small band of “cowboys” – those who flout the law and are largely ignorant of the rules and regulations which the more responsible in our industry follow to the letter.

It’s this band of irresponsibles that is largely the cause of the surge in legislation brought in or planned by the current government. Much of the recent legislation has been rushed and ill-thought through, plus some does not make sense in business terms.

Inevitably, it’s the law abiding that bear the brunt of the costs for all this; the reckless carry on in the same old way, largely unchallenged due to the lack of local government resources to interpret and enforce all the complex new legislation.

In this issue of the LandlordZONE Newsletter we take a look at some of the strategies landlords can use to improve the way they manage their lettings.

Avoiding voids is of course paramount for the average landlord as even short void periods when no rent is coming in and costs increase (insurance and coucil tax etc) can reduce the overall profitablity of the business dramatically.

This month’s Avoid-the-Voids Webinar – a new kind of meeting attendance where you can do so from the comfort of your own office or home, sat in front of your PC. The event is hosted by London based on-line lettings specialist Upad and chaired by the respected seminar speaker and editor of Property Investor News, Richard Bowser.

the UK’s largest online lettings agent	leading independent mortgage broker
the leading voice for landlords	essential reading for landlords
the UK’s independent landlord site	tenant eviction & debt recovery specialist
specialist landlord insurance	where property people share
- get your questions answered by our panel of buy-to-let experts: Ray Boulger John Charcol Alan Ward Residential Landlords Association Tom Entwistle LandlordZONE.co.uk James Davis Upad.co.uk with moderator Richard Bowser from Property Investor News

This LandlordZONE Newsletter is now available, in addition to the .pdf version, in digital-book format.

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Editorial:

We face uncertain times ahead, but there is one thing we can all be absolutely certain about: with national debt around £1,000 billion and rising, for at least the next four years, taxes will increase for everyone.

If we are to believe the economic pundits, government finances are in a more perilous state today than in the 1970s.

With government’s cash cow now in intensive care (the banks and finance sector) you don’t need to be a financial genius to figure out where the shortfall will be coming from once the election is over—whichever party is in power—you and me.

Some of you will recall the punitive income tax rates reached in 1975, on top of which an unearned income surcharge of 15% was levied, which of course would include rental income. Anyone then paying the highest rate of tax found themselves, at the margin, paying a staggering 98% of their income to the treasury.

Heaven forbid we reach that stage ever again, but you can bet that, close to every property investor’s heart, capital gains tax, at 18% will come under close security.

Given that the March 2010 budget is something of a non-event, the real budget destined for after the election, there are nevertheless a few palliatives for businesses to soften the blow when it does come.

A comprehensive budget summary and analysis is provided by TWD Accountants of Stockport published here on pages 8,9 & 10.

Tom Entwistle

This LandlordZONE Newsletter is now available, in addition to the .pdf version, in digital-book format.

Sound Insulation in Rentals

Soundproofing technology has come a long way in recent years: there are now some really effective sound proofing solutions available to landlords which might just prevent noisy neighbours driving you and your tenants mad!

In effect, modern soundproofing technology creates a room within a room; keeping extraneous sounds out and internal sounds in.

Originally designed for music studios the techniques developed can be easily applied in modern apartments, terrace properties and commercial buildings to create a more peaceful and quiet environment for the occupants.

As the concept would suggest, one solution is to put up internal walls inside existing rooms, with insulated gaps in between.

Building regulations now enforce higher standards of sound insulation in homes; but these rules do not apply to existing properties, only to new ones.

Flat conversions in period houses, very popular for rentals carried out over the last 30 years or so, have inherent noise insulation problems, as do many new apartments fitted with wooden flooring.

Noise problems can become a nightmare for tenant residents and indeed their landlords, who have to deal with the aftermath. Landlords lose good tenants through this and they find their properties are very difficult to re-let.

Taking action against noisy and inconsiderate neighbours can be time consuming and a lengthy costly process, the worst cases ending up in court with anti-social behaviour orders, but even this does not guarantee a cure.

Even top flight London apartments can be troubled by noise problems but with modern sound insulation treatment, albeit expensive in some situations, these problems can be virtually eliminated.

Content for this month’s LandlordZONE Newsletter has been provided by Toby Makin of Sound Insulation experts Sound Reduction Systems Ltd – Industry Leading Manufacturers of Sound Insulation and Soundproofing Products, Bolton, Lancashire, Tel: 01204 380074 Email: info@soundreduction.co.uk
www.soundreduction.co.uk

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Editorial:

As the government publish yet another report into the Private Rented Sector (PRS), this time by the

Treasury (Investment in the UK private rented sector Feb 2010), it would seem obvious from reading it that they are looking to the sector to give much needed relief to our housing problems.

Given the present and projected economic situation is seems the options for housing solutions will be severely limited in future and hence their apparent aim to encourage corporate investment in the sector, as well as their professed aim to encourage private landlords.

All the more surprising then that they constantly bring up new and ever more onerous regulation for private landlords.

Despite repeated promises to reduce the amount of “red tape” in business and public services, this just never seems to happen—we just get more so every parliament!

It seems that before one lot of rules and regulations have been tried, tested and proven workable, yet another lot comes along.

The next phase includes a suggestion that tenants have access to a website where they could post views about you and your rental accommodation?

As a LandlordZONE user, we invite you to join us for seminars and our expert panel at the Landlord &

Buy-to-Let Show, London Olympia, 5-6th March, as they assess the validity of a website that would put information about you in the spotlight, and would require intensive management. Come along and join us.

Tom Entwistle

Pest Control, or as it is perhaps better called – Pest Management—is a subject that can strike fear into landlords and tenants alike.

Who is responsible for eradication? How did the pests get in? How do I control them? How do I prevent them getting in again?

At the Landlord and Buy to Let Event held Olympia last September, these questions and many more were answered during the seminar programme by the specialist team from PestFreeHome and Bed-Bugs UK, both acknowledged international experts from the pest management industry.

Rob Fryatt operates PestFreeHome.co.uk www.pestfreehome.co.uk a specialist pest management webshop which has a wide range of easy solutions available to landlords for the management of pests.

This includes an advice line, and a simple “click through” post code driven service to find a pest controller near you.

PestFreeHome were recent winners of the Innovation Category at the Landlord & Buy to Let Awards and finalists in the Business Matters “Start Up Stars” competition in 2009.

David Cain who is a research scientist in genetics and molecular biology, has become a passionate champion of the need for public communication of the ways to detect and avoid bed bugs and is increasingly seen on TV, heard on the radio and read in the national press expressing his views.

David is increasingly acknowledged throughout the world as a unique bed bug expert.

His company Bed Bugs UK www.bed-bugs.co.uk is the only dedicated bed bug control company in the UK offering the widest range of solutions available.

What used to be a rare pest problem at the start of the new millennium is now so vast that he has personally dealt with over 11,000 cases since 2003.

Both Rob and David have provided content for this LandlordZONE newsletter.

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December 2009

As we near the year-end and enter the quiet season for landlords, it’s perhaps time to reflect on what’s happened over the last 12 months.

Despite going through the worst recession since the 1930s the lettings market has held up remarkably well.

Rents came under pressure as reluctant landlords brought properties onto the market, but as the house sales market hardened in the last few months, rents levels are slowly beginning to increase.

The RICS Q3 Lettings survey is predicting rent rises in the New Year as the number of properties available for renting falls.
There’s been no mass sell off by landlords and most indicate that they are in the business long-term, many looking to add housing stock as and when the opportunities arise—Landlord Magazine survey.

Demographic changes in our society bode well for the private rentals business long-term as it’s inevitable that a bigger proportion of the population will rent.

However, with tough economic times set to continue for some time, the big rise in rent arrears and evictions we’ve been seeing is also set to continue.

Landlords and agents need to consolidate and concentrate on good management to see this tough period through.

One aspect which can be a real headache for landlords is the problem of damp and condensation at this time of year. Here we look into this common problem.

Season’s Greetings and Best Wishes to all for 2010 – Tom Entwistle, Editor

Damp, Condensation and Mould – How to Deal with it!

People associate being a landlord with making pots of money. Hopefully, that’s the case, but it’s also possible to lose a lot of money as well.

A well known firm of specialist property Solicitors have related how they won a £20,000 compensation claim against a landlord, acting for a tenant who had developed health problems living in damp housing.

Dampness, condensation and mould growth are common risks, especially at this time of year, which landlords can be faced with.

These are really tricky problems and although more prevalent in older properties, they can affect new ones as well.

Judging by a spate of legal claims in the United States, damp, condensation and mould growth have the potential to become the new asbestos of tomorrow!

Being a successful landlord is not just about investing wisely: it’s also about managing risk and minimising potential loss. Living in an increasingly litigious culture means that landlords and agents should see risk management as a top priority.

Dampness in a property has basically four causes: (1) ingress of water, say from a leaky roof, gutters, walls, windows etc. (2) rising damp, from under floor areas due to lack of damp proof courses, bridging of these or inadequately tanked under soil areas such as basements (3) internal water pipe leaks, and finally (4) condensation.

All of these problems, over time, have a detrimental effect on traditional building materials, all of which have the ability to absorb large quantities of moisture and develop serious conditions. This can mean wet and dry rot in timbers, deterioration of plaster, masonry, furnishings and clothes, electrical systems, and perhaps more seriously for inhabitants, and landlords, mould spores.

All moulds have the potential to cause health problems and allergic reactions including eye, nose and throat irritation, coughs and breathing difficulty.

However, two mould species – Stachybotrys chartarum and Aspergillus fumigatus – cause serious health risk mycotoxins which produce nausea, headaches, skin rashes and lung infections.

Of the damp problems mentioned, condensation is perhaps the most difficult to understand and to deal with; unfortunately for the landlord it’s more prevalent in tenanted properties!

To find out why this is the case, and how to deal with damp and condensation, read the full newsletter…

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November 2009

As we are about to enter the second decade of the 21st Century, and with the prospect of a new government half way through next year, perhaps now is a good time to take stock of the planned and likely new legislation which will affect landlords.

Since the current government came to power we are told that well over 3500 new criminal offences have been created—that is astounding!

Parliamentary legislative activity, it seems, has been frenetic, with regulation after regulation, much of it rushed through, affecting almost every walk of life.

Whilst one must accept that more rules are an inevitable consequence of an advanced information society, does anyone in government ever stop to consider the costs against the benefits of all this legislative burden on businesses generally, and in our case landlords in particular?

With an army of bureaucrats in Westminster and Brussels making all these rules, resulting in many thousands more jobs and costs needed for compliance, can the net benefit / cost to our society ever be accurately calculated or justified?

In any case, do all these rules actually work in practice? How effective was that bureaucratic colossus, the FSA, in preventing mortgage fraud or curbing the impact of the Credit Crunch?

Finally, are these rules being enforced? Very often it seems that existing legislation is not adequately applied, and overstretched authorities, it would appear, are struggling to interpret all of this new legislation – let alone enforce it.

Since much of the rental property related legislation currently in the pipeline is unlikely to see the light of day during this current parliament, will it survive and be implemented by the next government, even if there is a change of government? Watch this space!

Tom Entwistle, Editor

Legislative Changes

Gone are the days, it would seem, when the occasional landlord or even the professional landlord could let a property on a whim, with the minimum of paperwork and legal knowledge.

Anyone letting a property today, including the reluctant or travelling landlord letting his own home, must have a good grasp of the letting laws, and this requirement is likely to grow as new laws are introduced.

No doubt this will please the letting agents, as more landlords will rely on their expertise to steer them clear of trouble, and the best agents do a good job in this.

Whilst it might seem a logical and perhaps desirable next step to bring in regulation of letting agents, given the trust that landlords and tenants must place in them, and the monies they hold as bankers, is it a step too far to require licensing of every landlord and their properties, in the country?

Today we are faced with several pieces of legislation which could take the process of letting property to the next level—a situation which may increasingly discourage particularly occasional landlords from offering their much needed housing accommodation.

In this issue of the LandlordZONE Newsletter we explore the breadth of the proposed changes and their likely impact over the coming months.

Just one example is the possibility of landlords being held responsible for water bills: the cost would inevitably go on rents, but metered water bills would increase considerably as there’s then no accountability or incentive for tenants to save water.

This newsletter was written by David Lawrenson of www.LettingFocus.com – home of Independent Unbiased Property Investment Information and “Successful Property Letting – How to Make Money in Buy to Let” – consistently the UK’s top selling property book for the last three years.

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September 2009

Things have been looking up recently, with a record re-bound on the stock market and increased property sales, but can this be sustained?

A lack of availability of mortgage finance at a reasonable price and the prospect of a long, slow recovery, with unemployment likely to go on rising for some time yet, says not.

All this brings the possibility of another dip in property prices when eventually the fiscal stimulus is phased-out and tax rises / savage cuts start to bite.

It appears, though, we’ve averted total disaster and at some point in the not too distant future, prices will bottom out and the only way will be up—even if it is a long, slow climb.

In property there is no tomorrow—you must think 5 to 10 years at least.

There are many positives for the UK residential property market over the coming years, so landlords should hold on if they can, focusing on good tenancy management and income.

Any new investments should be made very selectively assessing property types, locations and initial yields—recent auctions have seen ASTs going on yields of nearly 11%

This week we have introduced a rather unusual Topic for the LandlordZONE Newsletter—Immigration Visas and investments in the USA.

For those with the cash resources, now, or very soon, could be the perfect time to invest in that property or business in the sun.

Despite the weakness in the Pound, some US property investments are looking exceptionally cheap.

For example, at a recent auction in St. Augustine Florida (the oldest town and one of the most beautiful and affluent in the USA) building plots in a residential area (200 yards from the sand) went for £25,000 each.

The median price for a typical (3-bed, 2 bathroom, yard and garage) home in Florida today is less than £100,000

But foreign investments need great care: you must visit and do due diligence yourself, you need sound advice from trustworthy locals and you need sound legal advice to establish good title.

Tom Entwistle

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July 2009

As we approach the student letting season and the start of the major job hunting period, August, September and October are traditionally busy times in the lettings industry. This year in particular, there are some important issues facing landlords, just over the horizon.

The Foxton’s Case highlights the importance of having terms in contracts that are fair and straightforward, particularly when dealing with consumers, as opposed to business to business.

This goes for landlords as well as agents under the “Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations 1999”. Though the case could go to appeal, and non-business landlords seeking compensation may have to wait a while yet, the current decision which went against Foxtons, looks unlikely to change substantially.

Agents using hidden clauses tucked away in small print, and hidden additional charges, to both the landlord and tenant, should bear in mind that that sort of thing will eventually work against them.

Landlords and agents should be aware the OFT produce guidelines on unfair terms in tenancy agreements and that introducing unreasonable or obscure terms cannot over-ride statutory regulations—they will not stand up in court.

The Government’s response to the Rugg Review has some quite far-reaching proposals, some good, some not so good for landlords—it would seem.

In addition to a landlord’s national register, a register of all rental properties, and independent regulation of agents, there’s a suggestion of using the data-base to help rent-out landlords properties? If you want your views heard you can respond here by 6th August 2009.

Anna Walker, Chief Executive of the Healthcare Commission is leading an independent review of charging and metering for water and sewerage services. It seems that a suggestion from government QUANGO Ofwat is being considered which would involve making landlords responsible for their tenant’s unpaid water bills.

Comment and evidence requested by 28 August 2009. Respond here

Finally, on a brighter note, Exhibition organiser and publishers of Landlord Magazine, Accession, will be hosting the first national Landlord & Buy-to-Let Awards.

The  Awards are free to enter and entries are invited into 16 categories from landlords, letting agents, local government and the landlord services sector. The Landlord & Buy-to-Let Awards aim to celebrate achievements in the sector and reward high standards. See the dedicated web site at: www.landlordawards.co.uk

Winners will be announced at a ceremony held at Birmingham NEC evening of Friday 16th October 2009.

Electrical Safety in Rental Property:

Electricity is everywhere, yet we are all guilty of taking it for granted and not treating it with the respect it deserves.

After all, over 30 people die and approximately 4,000 are injured because of accidents or fires caused by electricity every year.

Rented homes can be a higher risk environment when it comes to electricity due to a number of factors, including landlords’ confusion about where their responsibilities lie and how the myriad pieces of government legislation apply to them.

The task of the Electrical Safety Council (ESC) is to reduce the number of deaths and injuries caused by electricity and one of the charity’s major areas of campaigning in 2009 is to help make rented homes more electrically safe.

In this newsletter the ESC aims to clear up some of the confusion and offer guidance to landlords, so that people can see what they need to do and how they need to go about doing it.

Most landlords are probably aware that there is no legal requirement to supply an annual electrical safety certificate, as there is with gas. However, a landlord is required by law to ensure that:

- the electrical installation is safe when a tenancy begins
- the electrical installation is maintained in a safe condition throughout the tenancy
- any electrical appliance provided in the rented property is safe and has the CE marking.

The electrical installation refers to all the fixed electrical equipment in a property – cables, sockets, switches, light fittings, fuse box, and wiring.

This newsletter outlines what landlords need to do and put in place to ensure that the electrics in their rental property are as safe as possible – and that they have the relevant paperwork to prove this.

Content for this Newsletter is provided to LandlordZONE by the Electrical Safety Council.
More Information can be obtained here:
http://www.esc.org.uk

Tom Entwistle

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Editorial:

The Private Rented Sector (PRS) and buy-to-let has become an important, if not the most important, sector of the UK housing market; certainly as far as tenants, sellers, letting and estate agents are concerned.

The young wait in rented accommodation until they can afford to buy, which suits their mobile lifestyles, the old downsize and some move into a rental retirement, owners rent out their homes when they move away, or when they can’t sell—there’s even talk of a shift to lifelong renting.

All this is a far cry from 20 years ago when hardly anyone rented. By contrast, at the turn of the century around 90% of households rented and in 1939 this figure was around 55 per cent.

The figure dropped to a mere 7 per cent in the 80s—the result of years of well meaning but misguided social legislation which had the effect of destroying the rental market.

In 1988 the Conservatives gave the market a shot-in-the-arm, introducing the Assured Shorthold Tenancy, which was followed by the ARLA initiative—the buy-to-let mortgage package.

Since then the PRS has grown steadily with the present share at 14%, still a way to go to reach the levels of countries in Europe and the US.
The Rugg Report and the subsequent government consultation paper, the precursor to more regulation in the sector, is largely positive about the PRS—not surprising given its importance.

In particular the report highlights high tenant satisfaction levels with private landlords vis-a-vis social housing.

The sector must be one of the few remaining cottage industries—one of the few remaining successful “Mom & Pop” businesses competing head-on and on equal footing with the big boys.

There are moves afoot to encourage institutional investment into the sector, but its success remains to be seen as the process does not economically scale-up well—small landlords have the advantage there.

Whilst prices doubled between 97 and 2008, rents have only increased by 15%, so paradoxically, despite the boom time criticism of BTL landlords, they are now helping local authorities cope with homelessness, taking on more and more HB tenants.

The danger is that this government’s proclivity for more and more legislation means that private landlords could be discouraged from investing in the sector in the future.

Property Investment in a Recession:

Despite recent events, and growing red-tape and regulation for landlords, it remains a truism that investing in property will continue to be an excellent place to put your money and to build-up your wealth over the long-term.

Governments now recongnise the importance of the Private Rental Sector (PRS) to the UK economy in helping to create a flexible mobile workforce and also in supporting social housing.

Big mistakes have been made by many investors, or should we say speculators, during the boom years, who believed, or were persuaded to believe, that high rates of growth in property values would continue almost indefinitely.

The banks and even the government colluded in this misconception—Gordon Brown’s oft repeated budget day claim to have produced “the end of Boom and Bust”!

It therefore seems somewhat ironic that he succeeded in producing the biggest bust the country has seen since 1929-33

There are now signs that the world economy is beginning to stabilize, and that a total economic collapse can now be averted, though it’s still early days and things could still get worse before they get better.

Very low interest rates and a concerted effort by the Bank of England using “quantitative easing” – effectively the printing of money—and by many other governments, appears to be having the desired effect, but the jury is still out on the end result.

However, it seems inevitable that there will be a high price to pay by us all, with unemployment continuing to rise for some time yet, low economic growth, and eventually (after the next election) savage cuts in government spending and probably significant tax rises.

This edition of the LandlordZONE Newsletter looks at property investment—investing in property in a recession—and explores some strategies which can help landlords invest in property safely and successfully for their long-term futures.

Tom Entwistle

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Landlord Action, the National Landlord Association’s recognised supplier in tenant eviction, has reported a significant rise in the number of instructions they are receiving from landlords wanting rid of their bad tenants.

Paul Shamplina, Director of Landlord Action and former certified bailiff and private investigator, comments, “In city centres such as Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham and London, where there is an increased supply of buy to let property, we have seen a rise, year on year, of 20% in the number of landlords contacting us to help them evict their tenants due to non payment of rent and, whilst numbers are on the increase, the length of time landlords are willing to give leeway to their tenants is decreasing.

There are an increasing number of tenants losing their jobs and paying the rent is not always at the top of their priorities. Being just one month late with the rent can lead to the landlord experiencing mortgage arrears and so they are doing everything in their power to rectify the situation as soon as possible. Our advice line for landlords has been overwhelmed with calls for assistance.”

However, it’s not only financial issues that are causing problems as Paul goes on to explain, “I have just completed some filming for BBC Breakfast News in which I was accompanied by a film crew when serving notice on a tenant who owed nearly £9,000 in rent on her property.

The landlord was a widow and mother of 3 who had bought the property to give herself an income when her husband died. She is now suffering from depression and is on antidepressants and painkillers due to her current situation. Her general health is not good and she told me her whole body was aching due to the stress.”

For the landlord, the process of tenant eviction in this climate can certainly feel like it is geared against them, “the courts are busy everywhere and some landlords are having to wait up to three months just to get a hearing date which means more lost rent.

The judges and bailiffs are inundated as, not only is there landlord and tenant eviction cases to deal with, house repossessions are at a 15 year high, thereby increasing the workloads and meaning the landlord has no choice but to sit in the queue and wait.”

Landlord Action is a UK based tenant eviction trouble shooting agency, focused on helping landlords with bad tenants, problem tenants and tenant evictions.

Landlord Action was set up by landlords for landlords, offering Landlords fixed fees to evict bad tenants nationwide, with a free advice line. Landlord Action have successfully evicted 13,000 bad tenants since the company started in 1999.

Paul Shamplina is co founder and co director of Landlord Action and has more than 20 years experience in the legal field, originally working as a clerk, private investigator, debt collector and certified bailiff.

He has appeared regularly on TV and radio and travels the country speaking, giving advice and presenting “How to avoid a bad tenant” seminars. He believes passionately in the rights of the landlord and is always available for comment on any landlord/tenant related matters.

Landlord Action website www.landlordaction.co.uk free advice line 0800 856 7878 to landlords