How to Protect Yourself from Illegal Eviction

The rental property market is ever-increasing in the UK, with one-third of its population living in rented houses or apartments. However, due to specific landlord protection laws, renters in the UK are highly vulnerable.

Being handed an eviction letter can be extremely stressful for tenants, especially if it’s done through illegal means. A major reason landlords get away with this is that renters aren’t aware of their rights.

Before we explain how renters can protect themselves from illegal evictions, lets define what illegal evictions are.

Illegal Evictions

Illegal evictions take place when the tenant is unaware of the landlords’ intentions of evicting them. This involves the landlord changing the locks, putting their belongings outside the house, threatening them with eviction or increased fines, or discontinuing utilities or other services.

How To Avoid Illegal Evictions?

Illegal eviction is a criminal offense carried out by the landlord. Here are some ways renters can protect themselves from illegal evictions.

Do Your Background Research

Just like landlords carry out background checks on potential renters and ask for references, renters should do their homework beforehand. Before deciding on a property to rent, make sure you’ve done your research on who the landlord is, their renting history, their former tenants, etc.

Former tenants make good references and can testify to any unlawful acts, such as increasing rent without notifying or policy changes which weren’t in the agreement, etc. Even the smallest red signal is queue for you to bail.

Thoroughly Go Over the Agreement

If the renter and landlord have formed a good relation, there’s a high chance that the tenancy agreement isn’t taken seriously by the renter out of trust. However, the agreement can act as your biggest ammunition, in case things go south.

Some aspects are hard to understand by people who don’t have enough knowledge on the matter. This is why it’s best to hire a property expert or solicitor who can offer advice and guide you throughout the process.

Research On Your State’s Laws  

Some states are extremely strict when it comes to renter rights and illegal evictions. This makes it essential for landlords to follow through on their obligations. Such laws make it illegal for landlords to pull back on essential utilities, such as water and electricity. You can document such acts and make a strong case against your landlord.

Prepare an Applicable Defence 

In a defence application, you list down reasons why you shouldn’t be evicted. The reasons might include short notice, no alternative shelter, slight delay in rent after which the landlord refused to take the payment, etc.

A solicitor can better guide you on how to prepare for a strong defence against your landlord. Our experienced panel of solicitors and property experts at Wembley Solicitors can help settle landlord and tenant disputes and reach a mutual decision.

Reach out to us today to protect yourself from illegal eviction.