If you’re a residential landlord, undoubtedly you will have experienced the stress and financial strain over the last two years as a result of Covid. The ban on evictions imposed by the government resulted in many landlords facing immense pressure if their tenants were furloughed or otherwise affected by the pandemic. This often led to landlords negotiating a reduced rent in a desperate attempt to continue their rental income, but even this failed to give adequate certainty because there was no possibility of eviction if the tenant defaulted on their agreement.
Landlords will be relieved to hear that England has now returned to pre-pandemic notice periods, and they are once again free to serve a notice seeking eviction of properties. But what happens when your tenant leaves you with a damaged property when they are evicted? That is exactly what happened in this sad case, where the landlord has been left with a bill of £2,000 to rectify damage caused by a disgruntled tenant.
Whilst the graffiti left by the tenant fell short of criminal damage, it is still possible to pursue them for compensation in the civil courts. To offer the best protection, landlords are advised to ensure that their tenancy agreements are adequately worded, and they should not hesitate to seek legal advice if they face complications during the tenancy or eviction process.
'Tenant from hell' causes £2,000 in damage after completely covering every wall of two-bed flat with GRAFFITI for 'revenge' after they were evicted 'for not paying rent'