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Landlord could have license revoked after tenant disputes legality of eviction

A buy-to-let landlord in Edinburgh, who faces losing his license after evicting a young family, is appealing to his other tenants for help to avoid being blacklisted by the council.

David Love, who owns a portfolio of 15 buy-to-let properties in and around Edinburgh, hit the headlines earlier this year after evicting mum-of-nine Donna Newby and her children, who had occupied the flat for nine years, for not paying the rent.

Aside from face being homeless, the family had all their possessions dumped in the street by their landlord, who is also an amateur boxer, with several items, including TVs, laptops and electronic toys, broken beyond repair.

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No one was in when Love and his helpers turned up at the flat in Edinburgh’s Drylaw in March.

They piled the family’s possessions up outside before Newby, 41, arrived home to find her belongings heaped together outside.

The tenant had fallen behind on her rent after missing a JobCentre appointment and losing her housing benefit.

But left with “almost nothing”, Newby has decided to take action against the landlord, which could lead to Love’s license being taken away from him.

A council spokeswoman said: “We can confirm that the revocation of Mr Love’s registration will be considered in private by the council’s licensing subcommittee.”

“The City of Edinburgh Council requested information held by Police Scotland as part of an assessment on the suitability of a registered landlord, following an eviction in Drylaw in March 2018. The information was provided,” she added.

Fearful of losing his license, Love is calling on his other tenants, typically families on low incomes, to back him or face potentially being made homeless.

Love told the press: “If I was to lose my landlord license then the 15 families who rent houses from me will be facing homelessness as I will be forced to evict them all and sell the properties.

“So I ask that the licensing committee consider the wellbeing of the families that will be made homeless by this decision. “Most of my tenants have children and are on benefits. Three of my tenants are on disability benefits. They have little chance of getting another family home in their area.”

He added: “They [his tenants] are all really worried about the possibility of being made homeless due to this licence fiasco.

“There are 15 families facing homelessness this Christmas because of this licence fiasco.

“Even if I deserve to lose my licence - which I don’t - why should all my tenants lose their homes because of it?”

Want to comment on this story? If so...if any post is considered to victimise, harass, degrade or intimidate an individual or group of individuals on any basis, then the post may be deleted and the individual immediately banned from posting in future.

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    Mum of 9 on benefits, NO NO NO, i don't do single mums on benefits, past experience, nightmare, leave them to the council to house.

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    The landlord should have sought legal advice but the Council should step in to pay the Landlord directly in such circumstances - cheaper than putting 10 people up in B&B as no sensible landlord will take this family on now. The benefits system needs an injection of common sense to avoid penalising landlords where tenants have failed to follow the rules. No sense in taking away his licence and making 15 other families homeless as I doubt he'll make the same mistake again.

  • John Cart

    Don't worry, the jobsworths at the Council are stupid enough to revoke his Licence and then refuse to house the people they have made homeless.

  • PossessionFriendUK PossessionFriend

    All Landlords know that this is Illegal eviction and to do such is at your peril.

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    David Love is a notorious gangster landlord in Edinburgh. He has carried out dozens of illegal evictions. There was one incident in Wester Drylaw Place where the tenant was dragged out by the hair and her belongings thrown out of the window. There was another eviction at West Pilton Terrace where the tenant was short rent. The tenant was recently made unemployed. Love asked the tenant to pay or leave. The tenant refused. Two eastern Europeans visited the house the following night and slashed the tenant with a Stanley knife in front of his wife and kids. The tenant moved out the next day. Love owns a property management company and has an office on easter road. He sets fire to the tenant’s cars if they are late paying rent. He was arrested for following one tenant to work to chase him for money. Avoid this thug landlord. If you are late with rent his goons will be at the door. Hopefully he will lose his landlords license.

    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5490089/Edinburgh-landlord-evicts-mother-nine-family.html

  • Susan Mathews

    I have just had a nice Christmas with my family – I doubt his tenants will have had one as they will be worried sick about David Love and his “helpers” evicting them. I read the comments about the gangster chasing tenants for money and I have heard other stories. He is a cardboard gangster and coward. One of my friends rented a property for him. When he found out she had a dog he told her to get rid of it. Two months later the dog was poisoned (it died). There was no evidence to prove it was him but Police think someone put poisoned food through the letter box for the dog to eat. Absolute vile human being. Boxer or not - what goes around comes around. I hope his license is revoked.

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