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With increasing numbers not being able to pay the mortgage or rent many more UK landlords might have to face up to squatters in 2009.

Landlord Assist, a tenant eviction service, is seeing an increase in instructions from corporate bodies to remove squatters from properties. In fact the number of landlords who have approached Landlord Assist regarding squatters has increased by over 30% compared to 12 months ago.

Stephen Parry of Landlord Assist says: “There has been a marked increase in the number of people being repossessed and then re-entering their former properties as squatters. It is clearly a sign of the current financial plight of many homeowners in the UK. People simply have nowhere to go.

“We continually sympathise with the plight of so many who through no fault of their own find themselves in this situation and accordingly carry out our work in a very sensitive manner.”

The best way to avoid this difficult situation is to have a good relationship with your tenant. Learn a bit more about them – it's vital, because without them it could be very tough to pay for your mortgage. The better your relationship with your tenant, the better the chance that you can deal with any difficulties together.

If you do get into difficulties, knowing your tenant will make them much more likely to come forward with problems and concerns. Maybe you can come to new financial agreements if either of you are facing money problems, or maybe you can work together in making the most out of the property. The last thing any landlord needs during this downturn is a legal issue that could be lengthy and costly to fix.

SOURCE: Landlord Assist, 31/01/09

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