Work from home tenants

Tenants running businesses from their rented properties have been put under the spotlight following a recent case in Nottingham. The tenant in question hadn’t set up as a local AVON rep or as a web designer working from a back bedroom, no, this individual was running a scrap metal business from his front garden for all and sundry to see.

This business was set up by ‘nuisance neighbour’ Michael Collier of Rushworth Close, St Ann’s in 2010. He was taking metal from the local area – allegedly from people’s bins – in order to weigh it in for cash. He was evicted on May 18 following a joint investigation by Nottingham City Council’s Community Protection team and Nottingham City Homes.

A number of local residents gave statements for court as evidence of the effect Mr Collier’s actions have had on the local community.
They complained the place had been dangerous for months and was an eyesore impacting on the quality of life for residents in the area.

We know better than anyone, evicting someone from their home is not a light decision for the courts. Richard Antcliff, Head of Neighbourhood Enforcement for Community Protection, addressed those questioning the severity of this punishment perfectly by saying “you only have to speak to those it affected to understand what they had been putting up with.”

This is not just an issue for the social housing sector, private residential landlords need to take action against people with unkempt gardens who spoil the look of the area and show no respect for other residents. It’s quite simple, landlords need to set out tenancy conditions that gardens must be maintained to an acceptable standard. A tenant who can’t abide by this is breaking the agreement and can be taken to court. Residents need to remember – not everyone wants to know their business, literally.