Buy to let property investors are calling for a fast track housing tribunal to help protect their property investments should the Section 21 ‘no-fault’ eviction process be abolished as planned.
Almost four out of ten landlords (39 per cent) would like the Government to introduce a fast track housing tribunal according to Paragon’s PRS Trends Report for Q2 2019 which surveys the views and experience of over 200 landlords.
The Paragon survey comes ahead of a Government consultation this summer, designed to gather views on how best to make the existing Section 8 process work more effectively.
Alongside a fast track tribunal, almost one quarter of landlords in Paragon’s survey (24 per cent) called for a shorter court process, one in seven (15 per cent) would like a guaranteed way to cover their costs and 7 per cent argued for the ability to submit evidence online.
The vast majority of landlords (84 per cent) said they felt the maximum time from serving notice to taking possession should be no longer than eight weeks. It is felt by that a fast track housing tribunal would help to speed the whole process up to enable landlords to regain their properties.
The survey was commissioned after the Government announced its intention to abolish Section 21 in April this year. In its place, it proposes that landlords should follow the Section 8 process which requires them to demonstrate that tenants are in breach of their rental agreement when serving notice.
Director of Mortgages at Paragon, John Heron, said: ‘Some of the main concerns for landlords around a move to the Section 8 eviction process relate to the efficacy of the existing court process. What we see here is widespread support for a fast track housing tribunal that can deliver a fair and timely solution for both landlords and tenants.’
Source: Residential Landlord