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TODAY'S OTHER NEWS

Abandoned properties a ‘common’ problem for landlords

Have you ever had a tenant move out of a property that you own before the tenancy has ended, without informing you? If you answer no to that question, than consider yourself fortunate, because new data from the National Landlords Association (NLA) shows that over a third (36%) of landlords in the UK have had property abandoned by tenants before.

The issue can be costly as it often occurs when outstanding rent is owed, and yet the tenant still has a legal right to return and take up residence at any time and it is a criminal offence for landlords to do anything to prevent the continuation of the tenancy.

Landlords generally have to go through the legal process for regaining possession of an abandoned property which can often take months.

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The problem in the UK is most acute in the North East of England where 58% of buy-to-let investors have had a property abandoned. Some 51% of landlords in the North have also experienced the issue.

Landlords seeking to avoid having a property abandoned, may wish to consider investing in the South West of England, which has the lowest proportion of abandonments, at 31%.

“The process of recovering an abandoned property is too long, frustrating, and costly for landlords at the moment,” said Richard Lambert, CEO of the NLA.

Thankfully, landlords will be relieved to know that the Housing and Planning Act, which recently received Royal Ascent, will create a new process to deal with the issue, which Lambert says will offer them “far greater security and peace of mind when recovering  properties they believe to have been abandoned”.

Full regional breakdown

UK Region

Had property

abandoned

(%)

North East

58

Wales

56

North West

51

East Midlands

49

Scotland

48

Yorks & Humber

39

East England

38

West Midlands

37

South East

35

London

33

South West

31

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