The Housing and Planning Bill, which includes measures to tackle criminal landlords and letting agents, should also address the issue of problem tenants, according to the Association of Independent Inventory Clerks (AIIC).
Included in the bill are proposals to ban and fine criminal landlords and letting agents, introduce rent repayment orders and establish a database of 'blacklisted' landlords and agents.
It has been proposed that the 'blacklist' will be maintained by local housing authorities, who will also have to apply for offenders to be included in the database.
The Government Bill is currently at the report stage and only has to pass through a third reading and “consideration of amendments” stage before reaching Royal Assent, which is when it becomes law.
The AIIC says it welcomes the measures which aim to stamp out the minority of criminal operators letting property to the nation's tenants.
However, the association says more could be done to highlight the issue of problem tenants.
“We're well aware that there are criminal landlords and letting agents out there and blacklisting them and banning them from letting property really is a necessary step,” says Patricia Barber, chair of the AIIC. “That said, the measures in the Housing Bill are very one-sided and suggest that it is only landlords and agents that cause problems during tenancies. We know from experience that this is not true and I personally have come across many horror stories in my time where tenants have trashed a landlord's property or refused to pay rent for long periods of time.
“It would only be fair if troublesome tenants who repeatedly offend could be blacklisted in the same way as landlords or agents. The threat of being blacklisted or a fine would hopefully discourage a minority of tenants from misbehaving and help to improve the relationships between landlords, agents and tenants.”
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Yes it should
7 years worth of live data already available at Tenant Referencing UK ! ! !
Please read: http://www.landlordreferencing.co.uk/blog/rogue-tenant-list-7-years-worth-of-live-data-already-available-at-tenant-referencing-uk/
I agree that adding rogue tenants to this ban is a must & I believe they need to be held accountable aswell as rogue landlords for they behaviour, & why is not law that if a tenant lives your property owing you rent arrears & do not pay you or refuse to pay as theft & made to face criminal charges, I have had such an incident recently when a tenant living in one of my properties for the last four for free, he is in full time employment, but just didn't want to pay the rent, he has moved out due to me going to court to seek possession, costing me more time & money, he owes me £2,246, if he went into a high st shop & stole this amount in goods he would be arrested & convicted, so why not the same with living in my property for free & refusing to pay the rent, is thus not theft? Because it should be?
Quite right!
If there was a proper registration/de-registration system in place which forced people to notify the council each time they move, tracking problem tenants (not to mention council tax evaders, illegal immigrants etc :-)) would not be a problem.
And before you shout 'infringement of personal freedom' let me say that his is up and running in several European countries and seems to be working fine.
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