A spokesperson for the Citizens Advice charity has claimed at a public meeting that private landlords serve Section 21 notices on tenants to avoid doing repairs.
Kirsty Rowlinson is reported to have told a meeting of Southampton council just before Christmas: “We see quite a lot of seemingly retaliatory evictions.
A tenant will ask for repairs to be carried out and they will see soon after the landlords just issued a section 21.
“The legal process as I understand it for getting a tenant evicted is far quicker than the legal process for getting repairs done, so the landlord knows that the tenant is going to be gone before the court case for the repairs comes through. This is what we are seeing at Citizens Advice in Southampton.”
According to a report on the website of the Southampton Daily Echo, Rowlinson claimed that 45 per cent of the 2,200 housing issues notified to the charity in. Southampton in 2023 related to the private rental sector.
She continued: “Sanctions, section 21s and rent arrears have risen hugely in Southampton over the last couple of quarters. The last couple of months in particular we are really feeling the increase. Landlords want to raise the rent and tenants aren’t able to afford the increase.
“Sometimes landlords want to move into the property themselves or want to move family members into the property and some landlords have bitten off more than they can chew – they can’t afford the mortgage and they are selling their property.”
Last year the Citizens Advice charity nationally claimed landlords were the Renters Reform Bill - which is expected to have its Third Reading in the Commons this month - still allowed backdoor evictions.
A statement from the charity last year said: “New grounds in the Renters Reform Bill will allow landlords to evict tenants just six months into a tenancy if they wish to sell a property or move family in. Citizens Advice’s research found 48 per cent of renters who have experienced an eviction had been told their landlord wanted to sell up. But worryingly, the new rules won’t require landlords to give evidence they have followed through on this once a tenant has left.
“Citizens Advice is also warning landlords may use excessive rent increases as a way of forcing tenants out. Last year [2022] 1.8 million households either had their rent increased or were threatened with an increase, with 300,000 renters forced out of their home by a rent increase. The charity found less than 10 per cent of renters who challenged a rent increase from their landlord were successful, with options for tenants limited and often inaccessible.”
Citizens Advice wants the length of time new tenants are protected from eviction to be increased from six months to two years.
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Everyone has a different definition of what a reasonable rent increase is. A great many landlords had a policy of not increasing rent for existing tenants. That was OK when costs were stable and tenants moved fairly frequently. The market has changed, costs have risen stratospherically and tenants are moving less often. It would be interesting to know how many Social tenants winge about their inflation linked rent increases on their subsidized half price housing or do they just accept it's something that happens every year?
People are moving less often due to the general shortage of housing and cost of moving, so there is more likelihood of existing tenants experiencing rent increases. The size of those increases will depend on several factors: when the last increase was, local comparable rents, the general condition of the property, the attitude of the tenant, etc.
Any increase at a general level of inflation or that takes the property to a similar price as comparable properties isn't an excessive increase. If the last increase was several years ago the new rent may be a bit of a shock for the tenant but they should focus on how much money they have saved over the years they didn't have rent increases. A good tenant is likely to have a more modest rent increase than someone who is in any way difficult to deal with. It's good business sense to try and retain good tenants.
Instead of bleating about how 300000 renters were forced out of their home by a rent increase perhaps more thought should be put into the number of homeowners who have faced horrific increases in their mortgage payments with no financial assistance available to them. At least renter's have LHA and can apply for Discretionary Housing Payments, Hardship funds and Cost of Living handouts. This governments disasterous financial mismanagement has caused major hardship to millions of families and hasn't been specifically reserved for tenants.
Repairs and upgrades can be a minefield. Tenants often don't understand that legislation changes and work has to be carried out if the house is going to continue to be lettable. Doing major work with a tenant in situ can be extremely difficult, especially if the tenant is in any way demanding and unrealistic about living in a building site. It's usually cheaper and easier to carry out repairs and upgrades to an unoccupied house and the finished result is much better.
100% agree. I have this issue with an existing tenant who has been with me for 11yrs. She now wants her flat redecorated/refurbished new carpeting etc. All reasonable given the length of tenancy.
Problem is, the flat is full of her furniture, a mountain of belongings and a pet cat!
Just how I practically achieve this refurb to include new kitchen, bathroom, upgrade the electrics and heating systems, new carpets and make sensible energy efficiency improvements is a real problem. I know several contractors that wouldn’t even consider the work in these circumstances.
To crown it all, my tenant is wholly benefit dependent pays £585pm (increase to £650 pending) whilst market rent is £800pm plus.
Obviously the rent will need to go up if I manage to get the work done, then we are straight into an affordability issue!
As tenancies last longer and longer this will become a widespread issue.
What would CAB advise?
Nothing sensible or viable I would suspect!
The RRB has no provision for this issue either!
Citizens Advice should represent landlords as well we at Citizens to not all this untrue rubbish reporting.
The reason for increased issuing of serving Section 21’s is THE RENTERS REFORY BILL and not because the Tenants wanted something done.
The reason for rent increases is the extra huge costs imposed on landlords with interest rate rises, A Mammoth of Additional Regulation and Compliance costs including Licensing Schemes.
Double Stamp Duty on purchase. Section 24 can’t claim real interest relief a genuine business expense only 20%.
Double C/tax on vacant property even if improving, its madness if one person living there 25% discount, if vacant 100% increase no Service or Bin to be emptied.
What is it with those Charity Organisations, do they like 45% or is this a nice figure the same figure Shelter used when forcing in The Deposit Schemes
in 2007, a big disadvantage for Tenants driving up costs and things that used to be overlooked before the Schemes are now certainly charged.
Every outside interference and lies increases rents that’s well documented.
Well said Michael!
The truth will come out in the end.
I ' pulled ' the CEO of Citizens Advice after she'd given a speech to the Judiciary about the impartiallity of their service.
Me - Her " so why don't you give advice to landlords "
Her - Oh, we do.
Me - Ohh No you don't. There's countless reports from landlords up and down the country of C.A refusing to assist landlords, saying they don't give advice to businesses.
Her ( feeling let off the hook ) Oh that's right, we don't advise Businesses.
Me, so which is it, - you do advise landlords ( as you initially claimed ) or you don't because you classify them all as businesses ?
Her - ( Heat now too hot to handle, ) ' Thank you' and walked off !
@ possessionfriend etc. Do CA not realise that businesses are run by citizens who's taxes help fund the CA?
Rowlinson claimed that 45 per cent of the 2,200 housing issues notified to the charity in. Southampton in 2023 related to the private rental sector.
Someone explain to Kirsty that means that 55 per cent relate to Social Housing, or did that little nugget fly high over her head?
Citizens (except landlords) Advice, now twinned with Shelter.
I wonder how many of these 'repairs' are damp & mould, caused by condensation. If your tenant won't take action but blames the LL, S21 is an obvious route out.
Exactly if there is damp and mould in my properties then I view that as the tenant damaging my property so I want them out
All agreed, but our dear friend Gove has issued a warning to all landlords that damp and mould are almost certainly down to the landlords to sort! :))) He ignores all sound reasoning a bit like the M&S Oxford St planning debacle, cladding crisis etc.
Nick - that is probably why S21s are issued! If the LL has to sort out a problem they can't, the risk of further trouble is huge. The answer is therefore S21!
Tricia, Exactly. I served a S21 with the Nigerians I have mentioned before. That's mould, council intervention, no-win no fee claim to defend and ultimate eviction through courts and bailiffs etc. It's hard now. I'm not waiting for all this lefty Rental Reform nonsense busy protecting the undeserved and guilty!
Neither the government nor these so call renters charities and now Citizens Advice are doing anything to help solve the problem, they are just making things worse. We face a shortage of home available to rent, if you want to fix this you need to increase supply, so rather than attacking LL's (the supplier) why not take actions to understand the suppliers issues, support the suppliers to encourage them to invest and increase supply.
Given all the financial and regulatory attacks on LL's over the last few years, increased costs, threats of increased tenants rights, the removal of section 21, is it any surprise LL's are leaving the market and therefore reducing supply.
A smart man once said that the definition of stupidity is doing the same thing and expecting a different result. The government and these charities have continuously attacked BTL LL's, yet they are surprised they now have a shortage of property and rents are being forced up, its simple secondary school economics. Maybe its time the Government and these charities changed their behaviour and supported the very people needed to help fix the supply shortage, THE LANDLORDS.
You are quite right and it beggars belief that they can't see what they are doing to the PRS.
Agreed, but the problem is nobody of influence is listening.
We are firmly into a deteriorating crises and unfortunately it will get far worse. I reckon it’s at least 5 yrs or so away before we can hope for any constructive change.
What nonsense from Citizen Advice: I am a landlord: if I serve notice to the tenant to avoid repairs, how can I find a new tenant if the repair is not in place when the potential tenants view the property or the new tenant moves in? By saying so, citizen advice proves they need to gain knowledge or common sense. PS: Could someone remind citizens that we are also citizens and hardworking, and we deserve at least the same respect as other citizens?
Ian, you took the words out of my mouth. I had a scum bag Tenant who luckily for me needed a bigger House to ruin. So she left, cost me £20k to do repairs etc.
As I have said on numerous occasions, don’t expect any intelligent comment from someone who is employed by the Government.
This kind of biased rubbish from the likes of citizens advice etc wholly deserves a legal challenge.
Where’s the NRLA representation of landlords?
Answer, nowhere - again and again and again!
A JR, it doesn't concern student housing so Ben's not interested ;)
I recently served a S21 to a young couple, no kids who were sometimes late on rent and couldn't be bothered to maintain the garden. My mortgage had increased, local council brought in Selective Licensing £500 (no benefit to landlords whatsoever) as well as rents increasing for that area and gave them the opportunity to pay the increase of £250 per month for a 3 bed detached. They did not want/wish to pay the increase. Found a new tenant with no problem willing to pay the rent increase. Iam a good landlord, repairs are done on the same day by myself (if possible) or the relevant trades are contacted to do them ASAP. Everything stacked against the landlords at present. Landlords have increases as well ie mortgages, repair costs, utility bills etc and we should be able to evict tenants easily if our circumstances change and need a property back for whatever reason , at the end of the day we are not charities!
Wow - shocked and disappointed at the level of bias and poor quality of writing from CAB. I thought they were supposed to be even handed.
She made a claim that some landlords evict to avoid repairs - no statistic or quantity given, and also does not mention that some tenants will purposefully make damage and demand repairs as a means of halting the evictions process.
Then states (the one actual statistic in the whole article) that 45% of their issues concern the PRS - and then completely ignores the fact then that the majority of issues are with social housing - not a mention of those issues.
She then states that some landlords “bit off more than they could chew” with the mortgage - so she’s either blissfully ignorant of the 12 or 13 successive interest rate rises that have caused many landlords mortgages to more than double once their fixed rate ends - even the stress tests did not cater for this eventuality - but she chooses to blame the landlords for this rather than have empathy for their situation.
Landlords are not putting rents up because they simply want to - as mentioned above, most landlords used to have a policy of not raising rents for sitting tenants - but the current situation has been forced on landlords thanks to the governments ooor fiscal policy. Every other business raises prices when their costs go up - how about CAB explains why market forces apply to every single other business but for some reason they think landlords sit in some magical land where interest rate rises and increased costs somehow don’t affect us.
Great post. 100% agree. The entire anti PRS lobby persistently warp, fabricate and propagate only negative statistics taken entirely out of proper context.
Calling them out, is a ‘must do’ for all of us.
And of course blissfully unaware of S24 that amplifies the amount of tax payable as rates increase - a particularly nasty and devious tax. Of course not applicable to those corporates that schmooze with the govt and big "charities" to ensure that mud doesn't stick
Happy New Year to all of those forward thinking hard working small landlords out there who just wanted to either leave something for your Children/Grand children, or who put their money into property rather than a pension.
You do realise that it is you’re fault that there are not enough rentals around,
You do realise that because the government have failed to build enough homes, that it is your fault.
You do realise that because there are too many people chasing too few homes that you caused it.
You do realise that, you and people with foresight who like you who planned for the future for your families will get blamed.
You do realise that if Politicians tell people without a home that it is not their fault and blame another group for the problem that they can still, get elected again and can keep a very good wage and pension.
You do realise that if your quick and sell up, put the money in the Bank, that you will be off without the hassle.
Do you realise that you are public enemy number one.
Happy NY. And yes I do realise all of that. Sadly it's all too obvious. But talking to other landlords they don't know much about the RRB and not sure it's even coming in!
Happy New Year to Peter and Nick.
Happy NY Ellie xx
And you do realise that the Govt will try to take 40% of your assets when you die because you had the temerity to plan for future generations!
If they actually built more affordable housing there wouldn’t be a problem instead of luxury apartments springing up all over the place
Blame greedy developers , they’re the real problem
Planning departments are the biggest problem. Insisting on massive CIL payments, refusing to allow practical, spacious rooms, refusing to allow adequate parking. Insisting on expensive detached houses with tiny rooms and 'kerb appeal' instead of practical, spacious, affordable terraces that may lack individuality.
I see This is Money (owned by the Daily Mail) today has an interview asking Ben Twomey how he thinks the housing crisis should be fixed!!!
People who have contributed to the housing crisis, shouldn't be asked for their opinion.
I totally agree with what's being said. We're trying to keep the rents down as much as possible BUT the councils keep.initiating registrations and licensing at X amount a year, and additional utilities and increased costs of literally everything affect everyone!! Do the powers that be suggest that landlords just suck.it all up and operate on a loss?? Ridiculous
I also noticed in the article:
"...The charity found less than 10 per cent of renters who challenged a rent increase from their landlord were successful..." So does that mean that that the increases in rent were deemed totally justifiable in 90% of cases??
Tenants often just look at their rent rise not MV. Many who have been on low rents are getting a big shock now as LLs raise them to MV. The funny thing is that all the tenant groups, anti-LL sentiment, taxation etc is pushing MV sky high. The tenant groups have won a bad deal for all tenants!
Just had a load of emails from my local council. Their blood sucking licensing scheme is just about to renew and they are demanding their pound of flesh (again) for absolutely nothing from them (again). Ah well, rent increases in the post ! ....
I totally agree with what's being said. We're trying to keep the rents down as much as possible BUT the councils keep.initiating registrations and licensing at X amount a year, and additional utilities and increased costs of literally everything affect everyone!! Do the powers that be suggest that landlords just suck.it all up and operate on a loss?? Ridiculous
I also noticed in the article:
"...The charity found less than 10 per cent of renters who challenged a rent increase from their landlord were successful..." So does that mean that that the increases in rent were deemed totally justifiable in 90% of cases??
More hilarity from these absolute fools! Of COURSE we’d all rather pay £485 and wait a year or more to evict someone rather than just fix the repair! And how on earth can she claim the eviction process is quicker than the repairs process?! LOL! I can repair virtually anything within about 48 hours, where’s the eviction process that beats this?! Plus the Deregulation Act prevents eviction for 6 months (then a year on top of that remember) so this nonsense about retaliatory evictions is just laughable. No one in this business would believe a word of this tripe.
Yes, very popular solution. Rain water is leaking through the roof, so evict the tenant, which means no rental income and the roof still needs to be repaired!
Amazing logic, Citizens Advice.
Anyone who thinks about this for more than a second would ask, "Why on earth would landlords do that?" The only answer is if the tenant had caused the damage themselves!
This is a worrying article. Right at the beginning of the new year we are already being attacked and vilified.
I would like to know how many of these cases CAB have actually investigated and fully seen the strength of the case that these tenants have brought against Landlords. If they had I think the article would read very differently. However, they are not interested in doing this as EVERYONE knows that Landlords are greedy despicable persons whom everyone has the right to blame for the housing crisis.
The article even mentions that some Landlords have over reached themselves. Possibly they could be right but lenders validate mortgages and therefore whom is really at fault. Nobody could have foreseen the biased and completely ill thought out Section 24 policy invoked by the then Chancellor Osbourne.
We have then had the ostrich organisation known as Bank of England, whom could not be more useless if they tried. Finally we have a totally incompetent Government whom have completely failed to comprehend the housing market and are liberally pouring petrol on the burning market place they have created.
The alarming situation is made worse as there is absolutely no light at the end of the tunnel.
Johnny, very good and the Boiler has broken down, get rid of the Tenants that will save you fixing it ?,
The toilet / drainage is blocked so no need to fix that either if you get rid of the Tenants ?,
God help us Gove want us out bad for his friend's the
Corporate and Institutions to take over and they are.
Let’s all keep busy complaining about what they have done to
us and we might over look their reason why ?.
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