Landlord Products / Services
Dealing with dead-beat, unscrupulous tenants is the worst aspect of being a landlord. I’ve been there, it’s absolutely gut-wrenching at times. There’s nothing I can do or say to relieve you from the pain, but I can say is that the frustration and fear is normal, and the situation WILL get resolved if you follow the correct procedures.
When dealing with problematic (and often pure evil) tenants and evictions, each landlord needs to decide whether they want to:
- Take matters into their own grubby little mitts (and yes, they can and do have successful outcomes), or;
- use a professional tenant eviction service to help manage the entire process.
What kind of landlord do you want to be? Let’s look into it…
I’ve been mere whiskers away from stampeding into my BTL rental property and throwing my tenant and all her belongings onto the street after she fell several months into rent arrears, and continually fed me a slew of lousy excuses. Perhaps you’re reading this because you’re going through the same traumatic dilemma.
In retrospect, it’s a miracle that she didn’t end up limping around with my foot firmly wedged up her ass. Alas, she will never appreciate the amount of restraint I showed *deep breathes* While I don’t condone illegal and aggressive tactics to evict rogue tenants, I can fully understand why some landlords have taken matters into their own hands, even though it often results in further delays and expenses, especially when dealing with tenants that are willing to stand their ground.
The wrong & right way to evict tenants
Unfortunately, there is a wrong way of evicting rogue tenants, and it’s a trap many landlords fall into. It’s a pretty sad state of affairs in some cases actually, because we live in a society whereby the law often protects the guilty and prosecutes the victims because they took a wrong turn out of desperation. No, it’s not fair.
Of course, I’m not completely oblivious to the fact that some landlords, despite being the victim to start with, completely go off the rails and deserve to have the script flipped on them.
“My tenant is late on rent, so I’m going to march into the property and kick him out”
While I understand how landlords get to that point, it’s not how the whole thing works, and I definitely wouldn’t give credence to that logic, unless they’re willing to accept that it could all go horribly wrong.
In short, tenants continue to have rights even when they cross over to the dark side, which is critical to understand, and why the proper procedures should be followed.
Common reasons for evicting tenants
From my experience, these are the most common reasons for eviction…
- Rent Arrears (late rent)
- Anti-social behaviour
- Damage to property
- Illegal/unauthorised sub-letting
- Pets without permission
By no means is that an exhaustive list, but I’d say they’re the reasons I hear the most often.
Starting the Eviction process…
Eviction should always be the last resort; communication and compromising usually always works out better.
Before engaging in combat, I always myself, “do I really need to go down this path?” If there’s an alternative solution, it’s always worth exploring.
But obviously life isn’t always peaches and cream, and evictions can often be the most practical and sensible solutions for landlords, unfortunately.
In many cases, it is relatively straightforward to ‘start the process’ of eviction, ’cause all it takes is an eviction notice. In reality, that’s usually enough to scare tenants into submission. So there’s no need to call in the professionals. However, failing that, things can start to get tedious and complicated. You can read more about the process of how you can evict a tenant here.
Do you have Landlord legal expenses insurance?
Before taking action, I recommend checking if your landlord insurance policy includes “legal expenses cover” Many landlord policies do, which could mean you’re covered for legal advice and services, including evictions and rent recovery.
If you’re unsure, contact your insurer to confirm.
If you are covered, reach out to them immediately. They should be able to guide you through your next steps and often use their own legal team to handle the situation for you. You don’t necessarily need to make a claim, but obviously being aware of your options is paramount.
List of Professional Tenant Eviction Services
Just to clarify, I’ve not used the majority of these services, but they’re services I’m aware of and have been highly recommended. Each company offers various eviction services and varies in prices. Look through the list and see which company offers the most appropriate service for you.
| Eviction Service | Rating | Price From | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Landlord Legal Service | Rating TrustPilot Reviews | Price From FREE | Notes I've started to get inundated with enquiries from landlords requiring assistance with problematic tenants, so I reached out to one of the leading tenant eviction specialists in the country, LegalforLandlords - they have agreed to give Property Investment Project followers free legal advice and special discounted rates!
| Visit website Call for Free Advice on: 0333 240 8255 Email Support Book FREE Case Review Discount Code: PIPLANDLORD |
Eviction Service | Rating Google Reviews | Price £89.95Inc VAT | Notes
| More Info |
Eviction Service | Rating Google Reviews | Price £120Inc VAT | Notes
| More Info |
Please note, I try my best to keep the information of each service up-to-date, but you should read the T&C’s from their website for the most up-to-date information.
Only use regulated and qualified eviction services
Word of warning, there are unregulated and unqualified eviction services polluting the space, resulting in huge errors and costs for their clients (landlords), so it’s critical to use a reputable and qualified solution.
The services I have listed are all regulated, and have been providing eviction services for many years.
Should you use an eviction service? When to seek professional help…
The top reasons to use a Professional Eviction Service, in my opinion:
- When you want the quickest resolution (which often results in the cheapest solution)
- When you’re dealing with a particularly complex case
- When you have no idea or confidence in doing it yourself
- When you just can’t be arsed to deal with the hassle or emotional stress
Before jogging on, I do want to share an experience that highlights how effective an eviction service can be…
A couple of years ago I served a tenant with a Section 8 eviction notice because he fell into arrears (it’s not the same case I mentioned earlier). After serving the notice, I was hoping he would 1) pay his arrears 2) vacate the premises sharpish.
But in all honesty, he had caused me so much grief that I would have been over the moon if just vacated, recovering the arrears would have been a bonus! That’s the point many landlords reach when dealing with emotionally draining tenants; it often becomes less about the money, and more about restoring our sanity.
Painstakingly, he ignored the eviction notice and continued living rent-free. As you can imagine, I was not only pissed beyond belief, but my anxiety levels were also rocketing to the moon.
So I then decided to seek the help of an eviction service. They advised me to use their ‘eviction notice service’, which entails re-issuing the eviction notice.
I know what you’re thinking, I thought the same. Why repeat the same step?
They advised me that tenants tend to take eviction notices from professional eviction services a lot more seriously, because it signals the fact that the landlord is getting legal assistance.
Long story short, a branded eviction notice served by a Professional Eviction Service did the trick. The tenant soon packed up his crap and rolled out.
So, the point is, the message can be a lot more powerful and effective when it comes from a professional.
Make of that what you will.
Advantages of using a Professional Eviction Service
- They specialise in the eviction process and understand the relevant laws and regulations, allowing them to navigate through the process as quickly as possible. They have streamlined processes in place to help expedite the eviction.
- Their expertise can help you follow the proper steps and avoid costly mistakes. Improper eviction procedures can lead to legal complications and potential liabilities. Professional eviction services take necessary precautions to protect your rights as a landlord. They ensure that all eviction actions are conducted in compliance with applicable laws, minimising the risk of legal disputes or counterclaims from tenants.
- Evicting tenants can be emotionally challenging, so by using an eviction service, you can distance yourself from the process, which can help reduced stress and emotional involvement.
- Rogue tenants are often more compliant when a professional legal service gets involved.
It’s often cheaper to use a Professional Eviction Service
If you feel out of your depth and/or lack experience, my advice is to seek professional help from a service that actually specialises in evictions. But this advice is often avoided, and understandably so, because many landlords are fearful of the associated costs, which is why they lone-wolf it.
Many landlords try to navigate their way around the eviction process on their own and then end up shooting themselves in the foot because they took a wrong turn somewhere along the way, consequently delaying the entire process, which usually results in further losses.
For example, if you make a mistake with your paperwork, and your case goes to court, the Judge is likely to kick your case out, which means you would have wasted potentially several months while waiting to get to your court hearing. It’s likely you’ll have to wait another several months before you can get another court hearing. I’ve seen it happen so many times.
Yes, in many cases, tenants vacate once they receive notice (invalid or otherwise) so no one actually realises an invalid notice has been served, but the risks of serving an invalid notice is a risk not worth taking, in my opinion.
Good luck!
Whichever route you decide to take, whether you decide to ‘lone wolf’ it or seek professional assistance, good luck. I know how difficult and frustrating these situations can be, but rest assured, it will end and better times will return!
Disclaimer: I'm just a landlord blogger; I'm 100% not qualified to give legal or financial advice. I'm a doofus. Any information I share is my unqualified opinion, and should never be construed as professional legal or financial advice. You should definitely get advice from a qualified professional for any legal or financial matters. For more information, please read my full disclaimer.
Hey Landlord
I am beginning to understand now why there is something like a MILLION EMPTY HOUSES in the UK
I mean, for many property owners the risk of letting to tenants is just too much and the rewards too small. Leave it empty, fund the place out of capital and sit back and relax and wait for the market to turn up - as it always does.
Failing that, if you must rent the places out - look forward to big rent rises this year: no new houses built for 2 years, social housing in decline, owner occupancy in decline, all spells rising demand for rental props and rising yields - time to celebrate!
cheers
DOugal