How Shelter helped my tenant become homeless

How Shelter helped my tenant become homeless

14:48 PM, 15th May 2023, About A year ago 7

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As a landlord, I recently faced a difficult situation with one of my tenants, a 68-year-old man who was struggling with drug addiction and had fallen severely behind on rent payments. Despite my efforts to work with him, I had to use a section 8 eviction notice to remove him from the property.

Unfortunately, the council could not provide him with assistance due to the rent arrears, and he ended up sleeping in a tent on the beach.

As we cleared out his flat, it was apparent that he had a serious drug problem, and I worry about his well-being during the winter months. I wish that a section 21 eviction had been an option, as it would have allowed the council to step in and help him find suitable housing, after all, he would have done nothing wrong.

It breaks my heart to see anyone living in such dire circumstances, and I hope that he is able to get the support he needs to turn his life around.

Well done Shelter you have effectively made this man homeless.


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TheMaluka

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15:18 PM, 15th May 2023, About A year ago

Regrettably Shelter should not be given all the credit, it must share the homelessness accolade with Generation Rent and Acorn.

Reluctant Landlord

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15:50 PM, 15th May 2023, About A year ago

Not sure why S21 was not an option? Can you elaborate at all - (just curious!)

GlanACC

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20:15 PM, 15th May 2023, About A year ago

No need to feel upset, you are not a social worker or a carer. If the council couldn't / wouldn't help him thern what did they expect you to do.

Christopher Lee

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5:53 AM, 16th May 2023, About A year ago

Well that 'article' didn't exactly explain much did it...?

Robert M

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9:46 AM, 16th May 2023, About A year ago

If you wanted to serve a s21 Notice then you could have done so. You CHOSE to use the s8 process.
The s8 (ground 8) process is based on rent arrears, and tenants can CHOOSE whether to pay their rent or spend it on other things, (and suffer the consequences, e.g. eviction), so in what way are Shelter to be held responsible for this person's drug use or choice of what to spend their income on?
It is the tenant that is responsible for paying the rent, and their failure to do so is what has caused you to evict them. The eviction (and homelessness) does not appear (from the wording of the post) to be caused by Shelter.
There is much to accuse Shelter of, without blaming them for the actions of your specific tenant, or your own choice of how to evict. (and I agree that Shelter's actions and political lobbying does indirectly cause homelessness, e.g. causing landlords to leave the market or increase rents to cover the additional costs).
Perhaps more details as to what actions Shelter have taken in this specific case may justify your position, but from the wording of the post I see no direct cause attributable to Shelter.

Nikki Palmer

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10:25 AM, 16th May 2023, About A year ago

Sadly yet more confusion with 'landlords' doing their own thing and not understanding what the dos and don'ts are.

Markella Mikkelsen

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10:54 AM, 16th May 2023, About A year ago

As much as I don't particularly have anything positive to say about Shelter, how exactly did they make your tenant homeless?
It doesn't sound like they were involved at all, in a positive or negative way.

BTW, you could have issued a section 21 if you chose to. The council would not have been able to house your tenant either way because of their rent arrears, as he is classed as "intentionally homeless". He chose to spend his rent (=taxpayers') money on drugs, instead of paying his rent.
If the local councils/Shelter want to do something useful, it would be to lobby DWP to switch Housing Benefit payments direct to landlords, AS A DEFAULT. They would have the blessings of the magistrates' courts and the bailiffs, who are snowed under in eviction proceedings.

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