LANDLORDS across Worcester are reminded they should always follow the law when evicting tenants.
The call follows Worcester City Council’s successful prosecution of a landlord who locked a tenant out of the home they were renting, after issuing an invalid eviction notice to them.
The court ordered the landlord to pay a total of £3,042 in fines and charges.
The City Council’s communities spokesperson Coun Jill Desayrah said: “We know that landlords will sometimes have just cause for evicting tenants – for example if they are behind on their rent, have damaged the property or are behaving in an unacceptable manner. In other cases, the landlord may simply want to sell their property.
“The law is very clear that the correct process has to be followed. This is set out in the Housing Act 1988, which allows landlords to issue either a Section 8 notice, where details of a breach of tenancy have to be detailed, or a Section 21 notice, often called a ‘no fault eviction notice’.
“Tenants have rights too, and it’s not acceptable for landlords to issue a notice that doesn’t meet all the legal requirements and then simply lock their tenant out of the home that they are renting.
“In such cases the council is ready and able to take action, and that can include prosecution and a hefty fine.”
Coun Desayrah added: “If a landlord is unsure about the correct process to follow they can find all the information they need at gov.uk/evicting-tenants.”
The prosecution of the landlord was at Worcester Magistrates’ Court on September 20.
