The only way to bring a tenancy to an end is the voluntary surrender on the part of the tenant or for a landlord to obtain a court order for possession. Any other way is likely to be construed as unlawful eviction which is a criminal offence, using violence or changing the locks when the tenant is out for example. Recently a landlord from Oxford was given a three month jail sentence for unlawfully evicting a tenant, leaving the individual with no accommodation and forced to sleep in an abandoned car.
Harassment and illegal eviction is a serious criminal offence and a breach of civil law; the local council has powers to prosecute anyone who commits such an offence. The law says that if you want your tenant to leave then the correct legal procedures must be followed. These procedures include serving the tenant a written notice to quit or Section 21 notice, if required this must be followed by a Possession Order obtained in the county court and finally a consent order for a bailiff. Continue reading Repossession, Harassment and Illegal Eviction →