High praise for agency after landlord evicts couple with new-born baby

Andrews lettings agency in Oxford has emerged as the hero in an episode which saw a family evicted from their home when the landlord discovered there was a new-born child there.

The eviction appears to have happened despite the tenancy agreement stating that two children up to the age of 18 were allowed in the property: the new-born was the only child in the family.

The Oxford Mail reports that a couple welcomed their baby boy into the world last August; however, Andrews had to break the bad news to the parents nine days later after the landlord reportedly “freaked out” at the news. 

The Oxford Mail says Andrews no longer has the landlord as a client but states that the agency was “instrumental in helping the couple find a new home in [Oxford suburb] Headington.”

The report says the landlord of the property had a bad experience with previous tenants who had a baby, apparently resulting in a refurbishment costing thousands of pounds.

However, the couple who were evicted in this latest incident were not told in their tenancy agreement that they could not have children living in the home. The agreement stated that two children under the age of 18 were permitted to live in the property.

For this reason the couple did not last year inform Andrews about the upcoming birth; instead the agency found out about it during a routine inspect and informed the landord who was then reported to have "freaked out”. 

The couple had the choice to either break their contract earlier than the break clause and be released from their obligations under the agreement with no penalty, or stay in the property until the break clause was enforced in February.

Despite keeping the property tidy in a bid to convince the landlord that they were good tenants, the couple realised they had little choice but to seek alternative accommodation as the February deadline neared.

“We’ve tried to look at the positives and, in a way, it’s turned out for the best because Andrews helped us to find a lovely new home that is a lot more baby-friendly” explains the mother.

The article states: “After seeking legal advice, the couple were told that the law on indirect discrimination is complex and there are exemptions for small properties.

They were also told that Article 8 of The Human Rights Act 1998 - the right to respect for private and family life - does not apply to privately contracting individuals but only applies to public bodies such as housing associations or local authorities such as the council.”

The Oxford Mail contacted the landlord in question but they did not wish to comment.

You can see the full article here.