All I want for Christmas is to evict my tenants

Published: 04/10/2013

Landlords looking to evict troublesome tenants before Christmas and start the New Year afresh must act immediately if they are to have a decent chance of getting a court hearing this year.

The courts are already close to capacity. However the new welfare reforms are stretching resources even further.

The next two weeks are therefore critical with the 15th October recognised as the cut off date. However there are still no guarantees when it comes to securing a hearing as Solicitor and Head of GW LET, Rob Denman, explains:

“With the courts facing the usual end-of-year delays, even if a landlord gets the necessary paperwork in immediately they still might not get a hearing this year.

“Landlords should not use this as a reason to take the law into their own hands though; the eviction process may be lengthy but failing to follow the correct legal procedure is likely to make a bad situation worse.

“Landlords trying to evict tenants can give themselves a fighting chance by ensuring all paperwork is 100% accurate. As legal professionals specialising in landlord law, we can assist landlords with this.

“And even if a landlord fails to secure a pre-Christmas hearing, the fact remains that the sooner they act the quicker they will resolve the problem and minimise the financial impact of rent arrears or the added stress of anti-social tenants. It will also mean they are in a good position come spring, a particularly good time to find new tenants.”

Content correct at time of publication