Landlord turns ‘Leatherface’ to recover £10k rent arrears

Published: 08/04/2014

Rent arrears… it’s enough to turn even the most easy going landlord into Jose Mourinho after a ‘ridiculous’ Chelsea performance. Or, in the case of one German landlord, it can cause him to threaten his tenants with a chainsaw!

The 45-year-old was reportedly trying to collect outstanding rent of €13,000 (approximately £10,700). However after the tenants called the police, he not only left without his rent but also with a charge for threatening bodily harm.

Head of GW LET, Rob Denman, comments:

“Whilst certainly an extreme case, you can’t help but understand the frustrations of this landlord - albeit not enough to condone wielding a chainsaw at your tenants!

“The topic of rent arrears continues to be a huge bug bear to landlords; not only because of the financial implications but because the law favours the tenant - even if they are in the wrong!

“While there are rumblings that it could soon be easier for landlords to evict rogue tenants, the current law means landlords must follow a strict process or face the legal ramifications.

“While not many will end up with a charge such as the German landlord, if landlords fail to go through the proper legal channels when trying to evict a tenant then they could, believe it or not, actually give their tenants an opportunity to claim compensation against them – even if they owe a significant amount of outstanding rent!”

Content correct at time of publication