Other Landlords experiences of successfully getting Rent arrears from evicted HB tenants
10:47 AM, 12th August 2014, 12 years ago
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Hi fellow members,
Love to hear your thoughts/experiences:
I’m going through the eviction process on two properties which are let to tenants claiming Housing Benefits. They have a combined arrears of over £6,000!
Is it worth the emotional stress (as well as time and costs) to go on a not so fruitful expedition of getting these arrears back after they have been evicted?
Yours – a very frustrated landlord!
Sanjay
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Member Since October 2013 - Comments: 1311 - Articles: 10
7:37 PM, 31st October 2014, About 12 years ago
Reply to the comment left by “chris wright” at “22/10/2014 – 12:35“:
Hi Chris
“Less is more” does not make sense. LHA rates are already below the market rents for many properties (though the opposite can be true), so for landlords with properties where the market rent for that particular property is higher than the LHA rate then it is reasonable for them to charge the market rent, even if to a LHA tenant. After all, the landlord is taking a much higher risk by letting to LHA tenants and should be compensated for this extra risk.
Yes, there are loads of potential unrecoverable costs, and this is the whole point of this thread I believe, as Sanjay wanted to know if there was any way of getting the arrears paid off once the tenant has left, and whether it is worthwhile pursuing it. All costs are potentially recoverable, if your tenancy agreement makes them so (and is lawful), but only if the tenant has money, assets, employment, etc, and this can change from one year to the next, so it is up to the individual landlord to weigh up the pros and cons of taking action to recover the debt.
Despite being a licensed debt counselor myself, I do believe that people should pay their debts, and that includes the rent arrears they owe to former landlords, even if it is at a very low weekly rate.
I also believe that a tenant with even the slightest sense of honour would want to pay off their rent arrears, so actually coming to a repayment arrangement with their former landlord, and sticking to it, is good for the landlord but is also good for the tenant (relieves the suppressed guilt).
Member Since September 2014 - Comments: 277
3:16 PM, 6th November 2014, About 11 years ago
.ive been a l/l for years and learnt to keep well away frm HBs but i still get tricked. They are very, very cute, know all their rights. Some get a job just to sign up then get sacked! I’m selling up soon as I cant cope with anymore deadbeats. Let’s be blunt, the gov know rent goes in their back pockets for them to *** it all away. It shuts them up, keeps em off the streets!
Member Since November 2015 - Comments: 1
3:11 PM, 14th November 2015, About 10 years ago
Please someone can give me an idea, Can landlord’s agent evict a tenant through housing court if the landlord authorized the agent by general power of attorney .
The landlord owner is out of the country and now the court is not accepting general power of attorney instead they are saying that you need to hire a lawyer to represent you .