Government Call for Fast-Track Evictions

Latest Landlord News by: Madalena Penny

Housing Minister, Grant Shapps revealed plans yesterday for new measures and support for landlords to evict ant-social tenants.

The ‘Fast-Track’ evictions will speed up the lengthy waiting times currently applied to evictions in England.  Under the new measures, tenants could be served with an eviction notice on the grounds of a single conviction for ant-social behaviour.

The introduction of new mandatory legal grounds for possession of property is the latest weapon in the housing minister’s arsenal to reform the social housing sector.  Further measures will consist of a review of ‘unnecessary obstacles’ associated with stressful situations for neighbours to deter spiteful retribution from tenants found guilty of anti-social behaviour.

A £300,000 fund has been allotted for the scheme in a bid to help tenants and landlords restore the communities affected by the unacceptable, criminal and disturbing actions of tenants.  In a preliminary statement, due to be announced by the minister today, Mr. Shapps indicated:

“For too long, too many social tenants have lived in fear of neighbours from hell, who’s nasty and vicious behaviour blights their neighbourhoods.

‘Victims and witnesses often have to continue living side by side with the perpetrators while action to evict drags on for many months and sometimes years.

‘I want landlords to use full range of powers at their disposal to tackle this menace head-on so that the disruptive minority of social tenants don’t make everyone’s lives a misery.”

A pilot scheme using Police Authorities in some areas are sampling procedures to tackle the new scheme.

In the private rented sector, landlords are concerned due to the impending closure of over 100 courts, causing lengthier waiting dates for eviction hearings.

Earlier last year, eviction specialists, ‘Legal 4 Landlords’ adapted a ‘Fast-Track’ eviction service to tackle the growing problem of ‘tenants from hell’.  On average, evictions can take as long as 12-15 weeks for an effective result either incorporating a Notice 21 or Notice 8.  Through the fast-Track eviction service, Legal 4 Landlords have incorporated a system, which is integrated with the courts, resulting in a 48-hour court date and an effective eviction rate, in a majority of cases only 3-weeks.

If you are experiencing tenant issues relating to anti-social behaviour or rent arrears, contact Legal 4 Landlords direct on 0800 840 7133.