By Steve Roulstone

I have constantly voiced the opinion that our Industry progressively gets more professional year upon year. I was totally behind the recommendation of the Rugg review that both Landlords and Agents should be licensed and or registered having qualified in some prescribed manner. I believe the benefits will be for all to see and enjoy and enforce the movement away from unlawful activities. I also understand the current Government saying they would not pursue this policy at the moment, with the current financial situation to deal with they have bigger fish to deal with!

Breaking the Law

This week, I have had two reminders that what was recommended by the review is still important and that the review was correct to recommend the introduction of legislation in the first place. I have reported in these pages that as an industry we are moving away from horror stories and that renting has become embedded in our way of life as an acceptable and in many cases preferable way of life, but what I have heard this week has reminded me that some people still believe they can act outside of the law!

Landlord jailed

The first case concerning unlawful eviction was reported back in November and was referred to this week in a conversation with a colleague. A Landlord looking to remove a Tenant who had become a Housing Benefit applicant attempted to do so without proper recourse to legal methods and then physically removed the Tenant when they refused to move out. Oxford City Council took the appropriate action and the Landlord was charged and convicted being jailed for three months. Whilst it is always sad to hear about Landlords trying to act outside of the law, at least the Law caught up with him and justice was seen to have been done. Although of course the Tenant still had to go through the indignity of being dealt with unlawfully in the first place!

Unlawful Agent recommendations

The second case was I admit hearsay, but I have no reason to doubt the source or the motivation for telling me what had been heard, as it was bought out in normal conversation and not raised intentionally. In concerned a Local (to me) Agent, who advised a Landlord when discussing the methods of dealing with Tenants who fail to pay due rent and when discussing notices served within the Housing Act in such cases, with a sideways tap of the nose saying; ‘Of course there are always other ways of dealing with Tenants who do not pay’

Legal Methods

Well there are not! Any method of eviction which is not within the Housing Acts is of course unlawful and what amazes me is that agents should still recommend some midnight knock on the door method openly to a Landlord! Perhaps I should not be surprised that the agent concerned was not a specialist Letting Agent being involved in other aspects of the Housing Industry! So bring on the legislation and I shall report such matters that come to my attention wherever possible to further legitimate professional Landlords being recognised as just that!

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