Eviction court fees increase without notice
Landlords who have to apply to the county court to evict a tenant who won’t leave their property have to pay court fees for the privilege. Those court fees have recently been increased by 25% without notice. And yes, unfortunately the implementation is instant.
We’ve reported recently on the quickest way to evict a tenant who won’t leave out of choice (and it isn’t very quick at all). If a landlord has served notice and it’s ignored, their only option is to go through the courts. Not only does the landlord often lose out on being paid rent by the rogue tenant, they also have to pay the court for the privilege of getting rid of them.
Here are the new fees:
- Issuing proceedings in the county court have increased from £280 to £355
- Issuing proceedings on PCOL (Possession Claim Online) have increased from £250 to £325
This fee increase is disappointing news for landlords already under financial strain. It’s especially disappointing for there to have been instant implementation without notice. Given the issues being faced by landlords further down the eviction process with the delay in bailiff appointments we would expect the courts to ensure the administrative procedures involved with eviction to be ironed out before introducing fee increases. That being said, we would hope that this increase results in speedier applications and, ultimately, speedier evictions.
We recognise the strains these circumstances are putting on landlords, so to help you go through this process – and to minimise your losses – we are now offering a free of charge 6 month Rent Protection policy (normal cost £75). This covers assured shorthold tenancies on a 6-month contract and will protect your rental income if your tenant fails to pay it. Plus, the policy covers legal expenses (up to £25,000!) associated with evicted the defaulting tenant. The only condition is that your tenant has to have passed a full tenant reference.
To snap up your free rent protection policy, get assistance with the eviction process, or if you aren’t sure what to do about a tenant that isn’t paying rent or won’t leave your property, give us a call here at LegalforLandlords on 0333 577 9050 and we’ll help you out.
