A free software tool has been launched to to help letting agents managing the documentation requirements of the Renters’ Rights Act.
The software by PropTech software provider Docubien claims to provide a structured digital workflow for completion of the government version of Form 3A, the mandatory, legally prescribed Section 8 Notice.
Docubien says its service reduces the risk of administrative errors that lead to court delays.
In abolishing Section 21 evictions, the Renters Rights Act has changed the process for regaining possession from one that was largely procedural to one that is evidence-based and which takes place through the court system.
Ministry of Justice data indicates that standard court possession claims currently face an average wait time of 34 weeks.
For a landlord claiming possession on the basis of non-payment of an average rent, the loss equates to approximately £11,345 during this period.
If the claim is thrown out of court on the basis that Form 3A was completed incorrectly, the requirement to start over could result in a greater loss.
Agents, in turn, may face increased risk of claim from clients if errors were made.
Docubien’s tool requires the agent to confirm whether the legal conditions for using specific possession grounds have been met before the notice is generated, including deposit protection, prescribed information requirements, and active debt moratorium statuses.
The tool also provides templates for text to explain why a specific possession ground applies to the case, and calculates the earliest legal court date by cross-referencing the specific possession grounds, notice date, and the selected method of service.
The software integrates with selected property CRMs and on completion of the notice, the software automatically generates a completed Form N215 to serve as legal proof of service.
Docubien founder Thomas Taylor says: “A claim failing on the basis of a notice being completed incorrectly has significant costs to the landlord and the agent. We have made this specific workflow tool to help agents avoid the most likely mistakes when completing Form 3A.”
It’s through a free version of the Docubien software. No subscription is necessary.
