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Four leading housing charities have launched a joint campaign to win better protection for tenants who face sudden homelessness because their landlord is repossessed.

Shelter, Citizens Advice, Crisis and the Chartered Institute of Housing are raising the alarm over growing numbers of private tenants who face eviction with little or no warning, and through no fault of their own, because their landlord has defaulted on mortgage payments and the lender has taken possession of the property.

The National Landlords Association says: "We think it is absolutely right that we should be looking at offering further support for the small number of tenants affected by buy-to-let landlords who have their properties repossessed.

"It is also important to remember that, for the most part, buy-to-let landlords only experience problems with their mortgage if their tenants fail to pay their rent. Our latest research shows that 37% of landlords are currently experiencing some form of rental arrears. This is bound to have an impact on the level of repossessions. Tenants may have difficulty meeting their rental payments but a failure to do so may put them at immediate risk of losing their home and the landlord at risk of losing their livelihood."

The CML agrees that there is a need to review current arrangements for giving notice to occupiers, to seek to ensure there are no "nasty surprises" for private tenants, and to review what would be a reasonable period to enable occupiers to move out in cases where the lender is entitled to possession.

Michael Coogan Council of Mortgage Lenders director general says: "Everyone sympathises with those tenants who are paying their rent, and fulfilling their obligations, but who find that their landlord has not been paying their mortgage and not told their lender that they are renting out the property.

"Good tenants should not be disadvantaged, and nor should lenders, by the irresponsible behaviour of a small minority of landlords. We look forward to working with the government and advice agencies on effective measures to help the modest number of tenants affected."

SOURCE: NLA, CAB, CML, 27/03/09

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