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9:35 AM, 30th January 2024, About 3 months ago 25
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A BBC presenter and GP has revealed how a ‘friend’ of 25 years turned into a nightmare tenant who trashed her flat and refused to pay rent or leave.
Dr Renee Hoenderkamp, known to many as Dr Renee, regularly appears on BBC Radio London and Inside Out, rented out her one-bed flat in Hendon, northwest London, to a builder in February 2021, after her son moved out.
She offered him a discounted rent of half the market rate, hoping he would look after the property and pay on time.
But she soon regretted her decision, as he stopped paying rent and damaged the flat beyond recognition.
On X, formerly Twitter, Dr Hoenderkamp wrote: “Don’t be a landlord. I became one to help my son move.”
Dr Hoenderkamp told MailOnline: “He cracked the bathtub, corroded the floor, left the bathroom filthy, and made the glass screen so dirty you can’t even see through it.”
She went to court to evict her tenant but the process has been delayed by almost a year due to the pandemic and the slow justice system.
A possession order was granted in September 2022, but she is still waiting for a bailiff order to evict him.
She says she has spent thousands of pounds on legal fees and repairs, and she is worried about the state of the flat when he finally leaves.
Dr Hoenderkamp added: “It’s been really stressful. All the time you’re wondering: will it ever come to an end?
“Even then, I know when it does come to an end, I’m going to have to get builders in to replace the bathroom.”
Dr Hoenderkamp took to X, formerly Twitter, to warn other landlords not to make the same mistake as her.
She wrote: “Don’t be a landlord. I became one to help my son move.
“For 5 years I had the most amazing tenants, I reduced their rent as they hit financial difficulties to try and help, until eventually they divorced and left. Sad day.
“Then I made the biggest mistake ever. I took pity on a friend. Let him rent the flat at half the market rate, so that: a. He could and would always pay the rent. b. He would maintain it beautifully, he was a builder.
“Not only did I rarely get any rent until he agreed to let the local borough pay some of it directly, he smashed up the place.
“After repeatedly asking him to leave I had to go to court. I started the process almost a year ago. He has never attended a hearing because he knows the court will do his work for him.
“I had a possession order last September. I am still waiting for a bailiff order. A year and time and costs.
“Do not be a landlord. The system hates you. Is it any wonder why landlords are giving up and the rental markets becomes more expensive with less property. @LandlordAction have been brilliant with their advice, shame about the courts.”
She received support from Paul Shamplina, the founder of Landlord Action, a company that helps landlords recover their properties from non-paying tenants.
He replied on Twitter: “Renee as you know @LandlordAction we help landlords get their properties back from tenants refusing to pay their landlords or vacate the leave.
“In my 33 years in the industry I’ve never known the courts to be so slow.
“Landlords have been selling up adding to the housing crisis.”
Dr Hoenderkamp said she never intended to become a landlord to ‘make a profit’, but it was a way for her to keep paying the mortgage on her flat, which is worth £340,000 and has a garden and patio.
She said she had previously had five years of bliss with the ‘most amazing tenants’, who kept the flat in an ‘immaculate’ condition, and even improved it with their own touches.
Dr Hoenderkamp said: “They were lovely. They painted the walls, put up shelves, made it look like a home. They even left me a bottle of champagne and a thank you card when they moved out.”
She said she hopes her story will serve as a cautionary tale for other landlords, and a wake-up call for the government to reform the eviction process and protect landlords’ rights.
Dr Hoenderkamp, who has been left around £7,000 in repair costs, said: “I don’t want anyone else to go through what I’ve been through. It’s not fair. Landlords are not all bad. We need more support and faster justice.”
TJP
15:35 PM, 30th January 2024, About 3 months ago
Reply to the comment left by Dino Saw at 30/01/2024 - 10:27
Very Harsh Dino Saw. She was clearly trying to do her builder friend a favour and he took full advantage. Obviously you are a Mr never-make-a-mistake know-it-all. And she is absolutely right in calling out the court system which, when it comes to hearings and evictions in a timely manner, is an absolute joke; utterly disgraceful. But no doubt the corrupt court system is also her fault !!!!!!!!
TJP
15:46 PM, 30th January 2024, About 3 months ago
Reply to the comment left by Cider Drinker at 30/01/2024 - 12:47They need to know when they have done wrong ???? Do you think this builder did not know he was doing wrong by not paying the very low rent and trashing the place? Of course he knew, but he also knew that in this massively anti-landlord country with the equally massively corrupt/incompetent court system, he could get away with it... for years. Only a fool would take the risk of remaining a landlord with ever-increasing costs, ever increasing regulation, grossly corrupt court system and ever-increasing taxes. I'll be getting out as soon as I can.
GlanACC
15:59 PM, 30th January 2024, About 3 months ago
Incompetent or naive, YES ... but how many of us have a perfect record - I certainly haven't. We all learn from our mistakes.
Dylan Morris
18:40 PM, 30th January 2024, About 3 months ago
Possibly an inexperienced landlord but this is totally irrelevant. The actual issue here isn’t about whether to be a landlord or not it’s the complete failure of the Court system. Image the delays when Labour get in and remove Section 21 without any Court reform. All those cases that were previously Section 21 and now having to be a Section 8 and needing to go through the Courts. That’s the real issue here.
GlanACC
19:01 PM, 30th January 2024, About 3 months ago
Reply to the comment left by Dylan Morris at 30/01/2024 - 18:40
Yup, entirely agree. Whether is S21 or S8 or whatever follows if it takes months to get the tenant out AND the tenant gets free 'impartial' legal advice then its a joke .. and there is no real priority for the government to change this as the longer the tenant stops in a property once a court action has been started then it saves local government money finding them a property.
Chris @ Possession Friend
20:52 PM, 30th January 2024, About 3 months ago
Don't understand why, given the delay, an Application to use HCEO's hasn't been made ?
GlanACC
7:53 AM, 31st January 2024, About 3 months ago
Reply to the comment left by Chris @ Possession Friend at 30/01/2024 - 20:52
Agree, Use a High Court Enforcement Officer, but they only replace the bailiffs, you still have to go through the court process first. Also, it is possible that the high court will reject the transfer of the eviction from the bailiffs to the HCEO in rare cases
Tony Phillips
2:23 AM, 1st February 2024, About 3 months ago
Reply to the comment left by Chris @ Possession Friend at 30/01/2024 - 20:52Hmmm! I am using HCEO and I may have been better off sticking with CC bailifs. I have possession and instructed HCEO in Sept. Just found out the CC granted permission for HCEO IN sept!!
The court took until November to notify me (but I never recieved ANYTHING) according to court records.
Now I'm waiting for a court pen pusher to rubber stamp the writ...then the free loading ##### who have ruined my stunning 2 bed flat will be evicted in 15 days.
The court system is a joke! I am about as perfect a landlord as you could possibly wish for. Yet I have been s*at on from a great height by the system.
Don't even start on the rogue landlord nonsensical BULL#### and the total utter gestapo at the council who make draconian threats of punishment and financial ruin.....When you have done NOTHING WRONG!
IF I sound a tad ###### off and frustrated..it doesn't come anywhere close to the stress and s**t I've put up with for best part of a year.
I served for 12 years in The British Army. Commando and UK Special forces back in the day. I am 68 years old in March...but Jeez. I have been and am gnats whisker from asking they leave NOW!... with 'extreme prejudice'!
I am sick to death of being utterly powerless and treated as if I am a villain.
Beaver
10:30 AM, 2nd February 2024, About 3 months ago
We all mistakes: The only time I ever gave a tenant a slightly discounted rent (at her request) in the hope that she would look after the property, it didn't work out.
Juan Degales
8:16 AM, 3rd February 2024, About 3 months ago
My experience of letting to a friend,a friend of a friend, the daughter of a friend etc. have always proved disastrous. I now keep well away and leave it all to an agent. All “friends” expect a discount and eventually show no appreciation for what you do.
This lady has tried to be nice,it’s not worked , keep it on a professional level.