Landlords want tenants evicted faster

The groups plan to take a petition to parliament showing just how serious landlords are about these issues and Mr Weatherley MP also intends to put forward these concerns directly to parliament.

Landlord Action’s founder, Paul Shamplina, said: “Our first objective is to raise awareness of the problem and highlight the difficulties experienced by landlords when faced with problem tenants.

“Secondly, we are seeking changes to the law in order to speed up the eviction process. This is particularly important when there is a clear case of either non-payment of rent or anti-social behaviour that exists from the tenant.

“Thirdly, we are also seeking changes to the law to improve a landlord’s rights of access to their own property in the case of non-payment of rent or anti-social behaviour.

“Finally, as part of the campaign and in partnership with the Residential Landlord Association, we are seeking commitment from the government that proposed closures of any UK County Courts will not result in delays for landlords trying to obtain possession of their property.”

Shamplina said the campaign was about all of the landlords who are forced to go through a drawn-out process to get their property back from problem tenants.

He added: “We accept that in many cases, tenants will have a valid defence against being evicted where, for example, the landlord has not maintained the property properly, etc. Quite rightly, evidence must be heard and these cases should take longer.

“But in most eviction cases tenants do not turn up to court and there is not enough support for single property landlords who may have been forced to let out their properties due to financial hardship or unforeseen personal circumstances so not being able to reclaim their homes is disastrous.

“The system needs a complete overhaul to give more support to landlords, in particular single property landlords.”