'Accidental Landlords' In Leeds Putting Tenants At Risk
New research has today revealed the shocking numbers of private renters in Yorkshire and the Humber suffering at the hands of a rogue landlord, with over 70,000 experiencing an act by their landlord that could have resulted in legal action.
The survey by Shelter and YouGov revealed alarming reports from renters including landlords threatening, harassing or assaulting them, cutting off utilities and entering their homes without permission.
In just the last year, almost 17,000 people have called the Shelter helpline about problems with their landlord. The housing charity is warning that a small minority of rogue landlords are causing chaos in the lives of renters, who often don’t know what their rights are or where to go for support and advice.
Shelter’s director of services, Alison Mohammed said: “It’s shocking that a small minority of rogue landlords who are exploiting the housing crisis can cause so much havoc and misery in the lives of renters in Yorkshire and the Humber.
“The only way to fix the problem long-term is to make renting fit for purpose for the millions of ordinary families searching for a safe and stable home. For anybody experiencing problems right now, Shelter gives them somewhere to turn for support and legal advice when a rogue landlord crosses the line.”
Jack Berson from Hunters estate agency in Leeds says there are now a lot of accidental landlords, who actually don’t realise the responsibility:
‘There are quite a lot of private deals done, depending on the area. There are many professional landlords out there that are good people, honest business people who want to do the right thing. But I think it’s down to education, more than anything else. I think it’s a fact that people don’t know what’s required to be a landlord. They don’t realise you are actually providing a service.’
‘There’s a lot of what we call ‘accidental landlords’ these people on the whole might not have the correct mortgage in place, a buy to let mortgage or permission from the bank. God forbid there was a fire or some sort of accident, it is going to mean there not covered by the insurance.’