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Wednesday 3rd November 2010

A campaign aimed at speeding up the eviction of bad tenants has attracted 2,000 signatures in just one month.

It can currently take a landlord months to take possession of a property, because of the need to go to court. County Courts currently have a log-jam of cases which is likely to worsen as many courts are due for closure in the wake of public spending cuts.

Tenants in arrears frequently stay on for months in properties, continuing to pay no rent.

The Rebalancing the Law petition, which closes this Friday, will be presented to Downing Street by Paul Shamplina, of eviction specialists Landlord Action, and Mike Weatherley MP.

Shamplina said: “The eviction process takes far too long – something that Landlord Action sees on a daily basis – and 2,000 landlords are now asking the Government to recognise landlords’ concerns and to begin taking steps to improve the situation.”

The campaign has had wide backing.

Mike Stimpson, of the Southern Landlords Association, said: “Why should any private landlord be required, by law, to continue to provide a service (often for up to six months) when the client will not pay for it?”

Letting agent Sally Lawson said: “Landlords are adding value to the residential housing needs and are being unnecessarily punished, and in some cases losing their property, all because of a tardy judicial system.