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Trade body repeats call for private rental sector 'housing court'

The Residential Landlords Association has repeated its calls for a new housing court “to speed up justice for landlords and tenants.”

 

The RLA says it takes an average of 43 weeks for a landlord to regain possession of a property through the courts during which time they may not receive any rent; in turn, it says tenants would benefit by being able to take quicker action against landlords failing to provide accommodation to the legally required standards.

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Freedom of Information data obtained by the RLA in 2016 found that among the 255 councils which responded, just 827 prosecutions had been taken out against landlords over the preceding five years following notices to improve a property being issued.

The RLA argues that establishing new housing courts would enable landlords and tenants to more swiftly access justice to uphold their contractual rights in respect of property possession and for action against landlords breaching the law.

  

“The current court system is not fit for purpose. It takes too long and is too costly for landlords to repossess a property where tenants are not paying their rent, as well as for tenants to uphold their rights when faced with a landlord providing sub-standard housing” says RLA chairman Alan Ward.

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