The value of property insurance for landlords to full time or amateur landlords was highlighted this week by an unfortunate landlord in the North East of England who despite repeated attempts to evict a tenant from his property finished up with a home that was virtually trashed by a rogue tenant.
Tardiness of court system contributed to damage
The case of Glenn Schofield is fortunately rare but certainly not a one-off and many landlords across the UK will sympathise with him and will have experienced the same frustrations he has felt over the last few months. Mr Schofield spent months trying to evict his tenant but the slow judicial process meant that when he eventually re-possessed his four bedroom house he had lovingly renovated, the damage caused by the occupant made it almost beyond repair.
Malicious damage throughout the property
The catalogue of damage caused by the vandal included collapsed ceilings open to the elements because the tenant had removed the lead flashing from the roof, paint daubed on the walls and ceilings and toilets blocked by human waste. Downstairs the entire kitchen had been ripped out and banisters ripped away from the wall. The police are now treating the case as criminal damage, which will at least give Mr Schofield some satisfaction but not in a monetary sense.
Landlords need protection
Without a comprehensive property insurance policy, home owners who rent their property out can fall foul of malicious tenants very easily, the amount of time it takes the courts to come up with an eviction order seems to be taking longer and longer and in the meantime landlords are left with no money coming in and the worry of the damage being caused to the home.
Change of mind needed
The Residential Landlords Association (RLA) have for some time been pursuing the Government over this and even delivered a petition to Downing Street last year, however, Housing Minister Grant Shapps, who indicated he was sympathetic to the landlords cause brought in a law that would fast track evictions but only for social housing landlords. The RLA are trying to get Mr Shapps to extend the law to cover private landlords but in the meantime landlords like Glenn Schofield are at the mercy of rogue tenants.