Private Landlords Will Need To Be Much More Vigilant if Proposals Go Ahead

Private Landlords Will Need To Be Much More Vigilant if Proposals Go Ahead

16:53 PM, 11th November 2011, About 13 years ago 54

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Tenants with anti social behaviour orders will be forced into the private rented sector if proposals to give housing associations and councils a discretionary power to evict tenants who commit crime – even when they have acted long distances away from where they live – go ahead. “Social landlords have claimed their tenants are being stigmatised by the Government’s plans to evict tenants who commit anti-social behavior miles from their homes.”

My concern is where will these people go to live? The answer seems fairly obvious, they will go to private landlords who have no way of knowing that they have been evicted from the social sector and this will exacerbate the already increasing problems that landlords face when dealing with this type of tenant. If local authorities, with their trained and skilled Anti Social Behavior staff, cannot modify the behavior of these tenants how on earth can private landlords, who have no skills or training, be expected to deal with them?

Moving people out of the social sector will not solve the problem, it will worsen it. Landlords will be forced to go through the lengthy eviction process to remove them from our properties and in the mean time other tenants and neighbours will put us under pressure and are very likely to find support from Police and local authorities. This is a ridiculous situation.

According to this article, “The National Housing Federation suggested that the new clauses appeared ‘to be at odds with the minister’s introduction of the original proposals, which focused on the need to stop anti-social tenants making the lives of their neighbours a misery’.”

The issue of anti social behaviour was highlighted by the summer riots but it is not exclusive to people who cause problems on this scale. One person can have a devastating effect on the lives of those around them and moving that person from one area and/or tenure to another is not going solve this growing problem.

Government need to address the illness not the symptoms and give people a clear message that their behaviour will not be tolerated. I haven’t got the answer, although I have got my opinions, but the issue needs to be discussed at the highest level with all those who deal with the people who cause the problems and solutions must be found to stop ASB once and for all. If it is thought necessary to remove people from where they live because the impact of their behaviour is so great, then perhaps they should be placed somewhere that they will be supervised and retrained to become useful members of society.

One thing is certain and that is private landlords like me should not be expected to deal with these people where trained professional have failed.


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Comments

Mark Reynolds

20:23 PM, 17th November 2011, About 13 years ago

Hi Mary - I was at the show today but got there too late to listen to your presentation - I also wanted to introduce myself but having spoken to Paul R he kindly gave me your contact details - so if you have a garbled message is likely to be me 🙂

I don't really know what the answer is at the moment to stop the behaviour you talk about - It seems at the moment that the Local Housing Departments have the power to remove them with the right evidence but either they are not supported or as in some cases are loathed to act for whatever reason.

2 Years ago I was involved in a case where a particular family were making the lives of the local residents an absolute misery. The Police took criminal proceedings and after a while it subsided. We went to court and judge issued a suspended possession order. The perpetrators (the sons) moved out across the road into private rented and we were back to square one again. 🙁

I don't know what the current position is - suffice to say, I am sure that given they have now moved again, the problem continues.

Lets hope that any new legislation addresses these sort of difficulties to make it easier to act but also, and more importantly, to act quicker to help us capture the evidence and have it in front of the judge whilst it is still shown to be current.

Regards

Mary Latham

21:09 PM, 17th November 2011, About 13 years ago

Mark What a pity I would like to have chatted to you. I look forward to hearing from you garbled or not.

Your story is classic and one I hear so often, it is so frustrating to see these people working the system while neighbours suffer..

Mark Reynolds

21:23 PM, 17th November 2011, About 13 years ago

Would have been great to chat to you too 🙂 ill catch up with you over next few days if that's ok? 🙂

Mary Latham

21:35 PM, 17th November 2011, About 13 years ago

I look forward to hearing from you.

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