Ben Reeve-Lewis on Landlord & Tenant Relationships

Ben Reeve-Lewis on Landlord & Tenant Relationships

10:59 AM, 28th October 2011, About 13 years ago 3

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“Don’t Shoot The Messenger”. Ben Reeve-Lewis investigates complaints from tenants about harassment and illegal eviction ………. he prosecutes landlords for a living! His full time occupation is a Tenancy Relations Officer with Lewisham Council. So why is he one of the most popular authors on Property118.com, one of the UK’s busiest landlord websites, you may wonder?

In this video interview, Mark Alexander, founder of Property118.com explores the unique mindset which enables Ben to get results without having to resort to heavy handed tactics involving warrants, injunctions and prosecutions in most cases.

Ben is an NLP accredited trainer and also consults with housing officers, housing associations and charities such as Shelter, throughout the UK,  to deliver training on housing law and negotiation and communication tactics.


Mark Alexander
Mark and his family have been investing in property since 1989, initially in the Norwich area but more recently across the length and breadth of England. Mark created Property118.com as a social network for landlords with a vision of becoming the UK’s largest online property investor directory.
Mark’s experiences and strategies as a landlord are shared here

Mark’s Articles



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Comments

Jonathan Clarke

18:39 PM, 28th October 2011, About 13 years ago

Yes a superb video with a gentleman who you can instantly feel has a real practical understanding of the problems faced by tenants, landlords and councils. Ben comes across as highly skilled and experienced in hands on management - dealing with those problems in a similarly practical manner to provide a win win result for all concerned. He has a non confrontational style and I can see that all who have dealings with him would warm to his intelligent problem solving approach
He is brick by brick gradually breaking down the unnecessary walls often unwittingly put up between landlords / tenants / councils. These walls are often based on unwaranted but understandable mistrust and fear. This mistrust is often increased due to a chronic lack of communication channels available
It is often due also to passive ignorance of the other persons role or position and the wariness about their intentions. As a result (because we are mere humans) respective parties will often batten down the hatches and conflict ensues and the us v them mentality inevitably surfaces.
But when warring parties meet face to face in a controlled environment peace and harmony will often break out!
All councils should do all they can to take ownership of the issues raised in this video and ensure in their respective areas a facility is put in place to encourage free flowing dialogue between all affected parties.
The rewards would be immense in my view

Mark Alexander - Founder of Property118

18:43 PM, 28th October 2011, About 13 years ago

Thanks for commenting Jonathan. Let's hope all the Councils and appropriate authorities get to see this. Feel free to share this video in any way you can,

17:00 PM, 29th October 2011, About 13 years ago

Hi,

I agree with Jonathan. A great video but entirely what I expected from Ben. However, whilst I would love to believe that most landlords simply aren't aware of whats expected of them and are all too ready to do something about it) my personal experience as Advisor to the Directors of the company that owns our freehold dictates otherwise.

PRS landlords not only take on responsibility as landlords but also as leaseholders when they sublet. Little or no attention seems to be paid to this fact but the majority of the leaseholder landlords on my block wilfully don't pay service charges, wilfully don't deal with their anti-social tenants through their tenancy agreements (which often aren't worth the paper they are written on) and wilfully expose their tenants (and the rest of the block) to danger, often all at the same time!

We also have the impact of local authorities to deal with under Private Sector Leasing, but again, when it is not done properly, it adds another negative element to block management.

Ben made reference to Shelter's campaign and I also contributed to his question as to what denotes a 'rogue' landlord. Personally I think that all of mine meet some sort of criteria but having looked up the word 'rogue' in my trusty Compact Oxford English Dictionary, I can say with certainty what they don't fall under is 'mischievous or likeable people'; rather they fall under 'dishonest or immoral'.

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