Profile incomplete
15:09 PM, 6th September 2022, About 2 years ago 26
Text Size
Hi, I would like to highlight tenants taking advantage of the landlord and Universal Credit and the likes of Shelter, the local housing office and Citizens Advice Bureau being complicit in helping them defraud the landlord and government.
In October 21, I let a flat to a ‘Spanish’ couple who were actually Romanian but had official paperwork having lived in Spain for some time.
Not that this is relevant other than when you consider the issues landlords have in Spain recovering properties that have been squatted in, it is almost impossible to regain possession of the property.
They paid rent in October and the deposit, missed November and told me work had not paid them and asked me for a proof of rent letter, which immediately made me think Universal credit rent claim.
They did not pay me again.
I gave them a section 8 notice when the arrears were 2 months, that was ignored, then I took court action which they ignored.
I asked UC to pay me direct due to 8 week arrears but they refused and continued to pay the tenant after discussing my request with the tenant. I requested this each month – in March, April and May – and then gave up. ]
Court eviction date set for 22 July, ignored, and the tenant told me to my face ‘I’m not going anywhere unless you want to give us another house!’
He speaks fluent English, Spanish and Romanian and he believed he could not be evicted or could at least appeal and drag it out longer having had advice from the CAB.
Fortunately, they failed to advise him as to when to make any spurious appeal.
Bailiff eviction date yesterday, on arrival they first tried to tell the bailiff with Google Translate that they can not speak English until I reminded the guy that he had spoken to me before – then he walked off and left his wife to carry on in Romanian.
They told the bailiff they had not received any correspondence until the bailiff pointed out that he himself had delivered a letter a few days before and he could see it opened on the floor in front of him. The bailiff firmly gave them 30 minutes to get together their stuff and the address of the local housing office.
The woman then says ‘I will stay here whilst my husband goes and sees what they can offer us’. The bailiff laughed.
When they left the property they had no sense of shame or embarrassment and were just laughing with all their compatriots who turned up to support them, which I suppose having had free rent for 8 months in a nice apartment and getting a bonus cheque every month off the UK government would make you laugh.
And they are off to do the same to the next unsuspecting landlord.
They will sit as long as they can and know nothing can be done to them. They are not worried about CCJs with various IDs and names and know the system will keep supporting them and paying them regardless.
To add insult to injury, the emergency housing officer who they went to see then telephoned me wanting chapter and verse of their eviction proof, I had served papers on them and copies of everything. I laughed and said they have been legally evicted after 3 court hearings and I’m not prepared to spend any more time and money on them thank you – if you now thinks its unlawful perhaps you need to contact the court.
None of this wasted time and money and court’s time and fraud would have happened if the Universal Credit payments were made to the landlords, its as simple as that.
The anti-landlord stance is driven by local authorities and CAB etc even though they need landlords on their side.
I’ve had enough and am getting out.
Chris
Previous Article
More than half of landlords view BTL properties as a 'pension'Next Article
Valuations are down?
Dylan Morris
22:01 PM, 6th September 2022, About 2 years ago
Not sure what other landlords do with their referencing but I now insist on seeing 12 months banks statements, which must show the last 12 months rent going out by standing order on the dot, no arrears. Anybody just arrived in the U.K. wouldn’t be able to do this hence they will not fit my underwriting policy and are declined.
(Same with mortgage lenders they usually require 3 years U.K. residency and 6 or 12 months bank statements to prove rent payments)
Everything PRS
23:59 PM, 6th September 2022, About 2 years ago
Reply to the comment left by Doug Ellison at 06/09/2022 - 20:01Not sure what I do for a living is relevant here? I was simply pointing out that agencies such as CAB will, in the first instance, recite the legislation to those who have been served an eviction notice… with the lack of temporary accommodation to place those who have been served notice, what other option do the likes of CAB have except to tell the tenants to stay put until they ‘must’ leave the property…
In my opinion, it’s not an act of fraud.. it’s a vicious circle that just keeps getting grimmer by the day.. for landlords, tenants & the advisors who have no option but to tell people to stay put.
Mick Roberts
5:58 AM, 7th September 2022, About 2 years ago
Chris,
Yes UC direct payment would save the tax payer £ billions & save hundreds of thousands homeless. It's a win win. Except the Govt have zero common sense & wun't want to make a Landlord's life easier.
5% of Private Landlords get paid direct. In Councils & Housing Associations, that figure is 35%. Cause the Council has a portal where they can tell UC what is happening. When UC communicate with us one day & allow an email, the homeless will come down.
I have letter off UC saying Mick, we have no way of u telling us when u have sold a house.
They've now paid me for 2 houses I've sold where the tenant is no longer mine.
Doug Ellison
6:12 AM, 7th September 2022, About 2 years ago
Reply to the comment left by Everything PRS at 06/09/2022 - 23:59
The point I was making is that you didn’t seem particularly upset that criminals can work the system and defraud not only landlords but also the taxpayer.
You don’t regard tenant’s paying the first months rent and nothing more as fraud?
Probably another left wing Jeremy Corbyn fan
peter styles
10:50 AM, 7th September 2022, About 2 years ago
Reply to the comment left by Timmo at 06/09/2022 - 20:13
exactly
peter styles
10:55 AM, 7th September 2022, About 2 years ago
Reply to the comment left by Everything PRS at 06/09/2022 - 23:59
its fraud when there is no intention to pay the rent what so ever , the point is they are not looking for long term accommodation they are deliberately looking to take UC payments for rent and banking the money . living rent free whilst they can , knowing that the system is open to abuse and every do gooder out there wants to help abuse the system .
Robert M
12:02 PM, 7th September 2022, About 2 years ago
Nothing new here, this has been going on for decades and is nothing to do with the nationality of the tenants.
The Government have created a system, which enables tenants to defraud landlords by promising to pay rent but then not do so, while at the same time enables tenants to claim benefits to help pay the rent (but they are not legally obliged to pass on to their landlord).
In addition to the creation of this system that is open to abuse, the Government also make it extremely difficult for landlords to either obtain direct payment of the UC Housing Element, or evict the defaulting tenants.
The Government then make a debt enforcement process that makes it virtually impossible to recover debt from low income debtors.
Then they blame homelessness on private landlords (despite knowing all of the issues mentioned above, and also knowing that the main cause of homelessness is relationship breakdowns, not evictions by PRS landlords), and this narrative enables them to bring in rent freezes/caps and eviction bans, all to populist applause (and tenant votes).
The combination of all of the above pushes landlords out of the market thus reducing supply and creating higher demand, which then forces up the rents as landlords are facing ever increasing costs and increasing risks (from the bad or non-paying tenants).
Doug Ellison
12:07 PM, 7th September 2022, About 2 years ago
Reply to the comment left by Robert M at 07/09/2022 - 12:02
Here here
Doug Ellison
12:07 PM, 7th September 2022, About 2 years ago
Reply to the comment left by Robert M at 07/09/2022 - 12:02
Here here
Mick Roberts
12:48 PM, 7th September 2022, About 2 years ago
Reply to the comment left by Robert M at 07/09/2022 - 12:02
Well said Rob,
U give a great clear short explanation that could solve 50%+ of homeless & £10 billion if they'd listen.