Landlords 'Urgently Need' New Housing Court
Landlords urgently need a new housing court to deliver justice for them and their tenants, an organisation warns.
The Residential Landlords' Association (RLA) says that a properly funded housing court is needed to deal with the proposed regulatory changes.
And now, with the government consulting on the abolition of Section 21 repossessions, the RLA says that the number of repossession cases will increase dramatically for the courts to deal with.
The government's consultation is committing itself to developing a faster and simpler process for the courts to deal with repossession cases, but the RLA says it is worried that no detailed plans have been published.
Housing court will improve justice
They say that the housing court will improve justice and also speed up the process for tenants and landlords.
The RLA also says there should be a clear commitment that ensures that landlords do not wait more than 10 weeks after submitting a case for the repossession of a property to it actually taking place.
The RLA's policy director, David Smith, said: "While the government talks about court reform, words will not improve the courts’ system for landlords or tenants.
"What's needed is a plan for a fully-funded housing court that reverses the cuts that have been made to the access of justice and it takes too long. It's simply not good enough to tinker with the current system."
He said that without fundamental change, any plans by the government to reform the way a landlord can repossess property will be 'dead on arrival'.
Best landlord insurance provider named
Meanwhile, the best landlord insurance provider for landlords in the UK has been named as Hamilton Fraser Total Landlord Insurance.
They picked up the gong for the 'best landlord insurance provider' at the recent Insurance Choice Awards.
The insurer beat off tough competition from other leading insurance providers and the award comes after consumers were asked to vote and share their experiences. With more than 26,000 votes being received over 12 weeks, the winners were announced.
The firm's chief executive, Eddie Hooker, said: "Winning or losing doesn't matter ordinarily, but this has come from people who have trusted our business so validates how hard the team works and the personal service they deliver."
He added that being a good insurance provider is more than just selling products and it's the firm's ability to earn a consumer's trust by finding the best products at the best price for matching their needs.
