The scourge of revenge evictions and why landlord insurance is essential
‘Revenge evictions’ and the misfortune they bring
Revenge evictions refer to instances of unfair practice by landlords who evict their tenants in circumstances they deem pertinent. According to section 21 of the Housing Act 1988, landlord can carry out ‘no-fault evictions – where they don’t have to give any reason’, which they often do when a tenant is complaining about an issue instead of addressing and resolving the issue for them.
There has been a noticeable rise in the number of claims made recently about this behaviour by landlords, suggesting that it is on the rise and becoming more and more common in a number of rental situations. This is, of course, a serious issue for tenants of these bad landlords who choose to carry out these unfair evictions rather than fixing the problems and bettering the tenants’ living situations. Indeed, a recent survey by YouGov of over 4,500 private tenants noted that 44% had lived, in the past year, in a property affected by damp, with 48% in a property affected by mould. 19% had lived in a property with electrical hazards in this time, with 18% living in homes with vermin infestations.
These figures, housing charity Shelter (who commissioned the survey along with British Gas) note, are simply unacceptable. These figures being brought to light have raised awareness of the issue of revenge evictions, making those considering renting a property in the UK more aware of the potential issues that may arise should they report a problem to a bad landlord.
Landlord insurance and why it is so important
Landlord insurance is vital in order to cover yourself against potential damages caused by your tenants in one of your rental properties. Although an additional cost, it is worth noting that there are a number of benefits to purchasing landlord insurance which make it very worthwhile.
Here are some of the key benefits of this insurance:
- This insurance will help you to protect your investment, allowing you to cover any necessary repairs at your property.
- Similarly, contents protection is another key benefit to landlord insurance, allowing you to cover the contents of your property should any damage occur to them caused by tenants.
- Landlord insurance covers the loss of rent should a tenant be unable to pay, allowing you to protect your monthly income; something vital in the instance of your property needing quick repair or work in the case of serious damage.
- Liability protection is covered in landlord insurance, allowing you, the landlord, to have total peace of mind that you are covered should it be required, including everything from legal fees to the actual damages at the property.
- Indeed when it comes to peace of mind, landlord insurance provides just that; making it a price well worth paying.
Here at The Insurance Store, we provide a range of fantastic, friendly customer service with our variety of insurance types, giving you the right advice to make sure you get the insurance policy you need at a great price. For more information, get in touch with our team today – we’re happy to help with any enquiry.