Landlord Action invites Housing Minister to “work together� on changes to possession process as 38% of landlords will consider selling up if Government scraps Section 21

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Founder
of Landlord Action, Paul Shamplina, has written to the Housing Minister,
Heather Wheeler, inviting her to gain a greater understanding of the possession
process before making drastic reforms. 
This comes after a survey¹ carried out by Landlord Action has revealed
that 38% of landlords will consider selling up if the Government goes ahead
with plans to abolish Section 21.  A further
33% said they would only continue being a landlord with significant changes to
Section 8.

The Government has expressed a desire to encourage longer-term tenancies, which
Landlord Action agrees makes sense for those that want them, such as families.
However, with the current average tenancy life-span already four years and one
month, and with approximately 90% of tenants ending tenancies themselves, there
is growing concern that abolishing Section 21 is not the right approach to achieve
this.

According
to the survey, 70% of landlords would be less willing to consider a longer-term
tenancy if Section 21 was no longer available to them, and a staggering 85%
said they would be more selective with their choice of tenant.  “If
this was the case, the Government’s efforts could end up being
counter-productive and harming the most vulnerable tenants� says Paul
Shamplina, founder of the regulated law firm and eviction specialists Landlord
Action. 

He
continues: “Encouraging longer tenancies will
only be possible with major investment in housing courts to help speed up evictions,
which currently take 22.8 weeks from gaining possession to issuing a claim for eviction²,
and clarification regarding new grounds within Section 8 to protect landlords.

“It is clear from our survey that with
so many other obstacles already faced by landlords, such as the introduction of
more regulation, the reduction in the tax relief that landlords can claim on
mortgage interest and a three per cent Stamp Duty surcharge on buy-to-let
properties, there is a real possibility of the but-to-let market significantly shrinking
over the next five years meaning higher rents for tenants.�

With a long pedigree of working with Government on reform and legislative change, for example giving evidence to the Select Committee tasked to reform Section 21, Paul Shamplina, has now written to the Housing Minister, Heather Wheeler.  

Concerned
that, despite the opportunities for tenants, the Government may not have a
clear handle on unforeseen consequences that changing the law around Section 21
will present, Mr Shamplina  has invited
Heather Wheeler to attend Landlord Action’s offices in Borehamwood to see first-hand
the work Landlord Action carries out, meet their team of solicitors and share
their experiences of the court process.  He
has also invited the Housing Minister to attend an eviction with him and see
the reality of what happens on the ground in order to support the government’s
work in formulating policy and new law which presents equal opportunity for everyone
operating in the PRS.

 Â¹ Survey responded to by 263 landlords

²
Ministry of Justice

ENDS

Landlord Action
Public Relations:

Helen
Evison, Landlord Action PR, t: 01276 804411, m: 07920516577

Paul
Shamplina, Founder, Landlord Action, t 0330 134 2857

EDITORS NOTES

About Landlord Action

Landlord
Action is part of the Hamilton Fraser Group of companies, including mydeposits,
Property Redress Scheme, CMP and Total Landlord Insurance.  It is based at the Hamilton Fraser Offices in
Borehamwood.

Landlord
Action is a UK based organisation helping landlords, letting agents and other
property professionals. As a champion for landlords, it has campaigned extensively
and was instrumental in getting the law changed to make squatting a criminal
offence.

It
was founded in 1999 as the first ever fixed-fee tenant eviction specialist,
they revolutionised this area of legal practice. They have now acted in more than
35,000 problem tenant cases and are considered the authority in this field.

Landlord
Action is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA
number 605660) and runs a free advice line to help landlords and property professionals
understand their rights: 0330 134 2857

www.LandlordAction.co.uk

About Paul Shamplina

Paul Shamplina is one of the key founders
of Landlord Action with 25 years’ experience in the legal field. He has previously
worked as a legal clerk, private investigator, debt collector and certified
bailiff.

He has appeared regularly on TV and radio and lectures across the UK at landlord seminars and events and still works full time in the office, heading up the team of advisors.

Paul believes passionately in the rights of the landlord and is always available for comment on any landlord/tenant matters.

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