One in four landlords have struggled to regain possession from problem tenants since the abolition of Section 21 'no-fault' evictions on 1 May, according to a Goodlord snap poll of nearly 250 landlords. The survey found 25% of landlords faced possession challenges under the Renters' Rights Act.
Landlords now seeking possession must use Section 8 and establish one of the defined grounds. Goodlord's research also found that 39% of landlords have adopted more cautious tenant vetting, while 9% are investing more in tenant retention to reduce turnover.
The firm's director of referencing, Nishma Parekh, noted that getting tenant selection right is more critical than ever due to the increased difficulty in reversing a bad match. Separate research from Goodlord estimates that fraudulent tenancy applications cost the private rented sector £4.1 billion annually in financial losses.
The survey also revealed that 50% of landlords believe the Act has increased their compliance burden, with a further 29% reporting higher compliance and insurance costs. Since 1 May, 23% of landlords have seen increased letting agent fees, and 10% have reported longer void periods between tenancies.