A few of you have talked about communication on here before, but today I wanted to talk about communication issues and the problems they can cause.
I had a landlord friend once who swore blind that the more effective form of communication he had with his tenants was on the phone. He felt it added a more personal touch to their relationship and that they respected him more for it. Continue reading If it isn’t Written Down, it Didn’t Happen – The Evidence Is In The Communication
An article written in ire is not usually a good thing generally but my ire this time has been growing for some time and based on sound and constructive principles that I think many P118 readers, especially those who know me, would share.
An article in the Daily Mail published in 2008 reported on a Merseyside based Estate Agent, Sutton Estates, who started putting up boards on houses of people owing rent, saying “Rent dodger lives here”. What made me even angrier was a tweet that went out this weekend from an industry professional urging everyone to read it because it was ‘Very funny’. Continue reading Systems thinking for the PRS
When a tenant has a beef with their landlord, I’m the guy they go to. My job is to either negotiate or prosecute, depending on the circumstances. This occasional and random series aims to let landlords know the common complaints that are made about them, the laws that cover them and how to deal with it.
A slight departure for this one. No cautionary tales but an open question really. I am asking this of the landlords who read this and am talking to lawyers and others to find an answer.
Having been in this business since 1487 I have seen a lot of trends come and go and have been intrigued in the past year by a new phrase being bandied about….the “Rogue Landlord”. You read it in papers, you hear Jon Snow talk about them on TV and I am even starting to hear it in council meetings. I am very wary of phrases like this being picked up casually, thinking, ‘How come we didn’t talk about this a year ago?’, as if it’s a new phenomenon. Continue reading To Be a Rogue – Don’t Shoot the Messenger #7
"Scottish landlord faces jail after forcefully attempting to evict a tenant"
A Scottish landlord could face jail after he aggressively attempted to evict a heavily pregnant tenant over late rental payments from a two-bedroom Fife property.
He is said to have told police officer that “It is cheaper my way.” to evict the tenant rather than go through the courts. The eviction noticed had been issued just seven days previous.
The 18 year-old tenant sat in tears in her bedroom as landlord Steven Simpson’s sons removed the doors and windows as well as removing fuses from the fusebox. He later claimed that the tenant had already left the property and they were removed for repair. Continue reading Scottish Landlord Who Took Eviction Into His Own Hands Faces Prison
"Landlords are being urged to check their HMO licences again"
Councillors have warned HMO landlords to put their house in order or face prosecution.
The warning was triggered as magistrates in Bath fined two local landlords for breaching HMO licensing conditions.
Richard Seccombe was ordered to pay £700 plus £15 victims surcharge and £100 costs for flouting fire safety in a rental property in Wells Road, Bath.
Kwok Ling Li pleaded guilty to two charges relating to lack of heating and insulation and another involving poor electrical installations at a shared house in Moorland Road, Bath. Continue reading HMO Landlords Warned to Put Their House in Order
SAFEagent are near 1000 members
Around 1,000 letting agents have pledged to offer better protection to landlord and tenant monies by signing up to the SAFEagent scheme.
Letting agents can only join the scheme if the can demonstrate they take special precautions to safeguard client monies.
In return, SAFEagent lets them display the exclusive logo on shop fronts and marketing materials. Continue reading SAFEagent closes on 1,000 member mark
According to The Association of Independent Inventory Clerks (AIIC), many landlords are still unaware of even basic health and safety rules when leaving their properties for rental. Continue reading Many landlords are unaware of health and safety laws 
