When dealing with problematic tenants and evictions, many landlords decide to take matters into their own grubby little hands, and yes, they can and do have successful outcomes. However, in many other cases, it results in further delays and expenses, especially when dealing with particularly complex cases.
So, should you use a professional tenant eviction service to help with evicting your tenant, or should you be the hero? Let’s look into it…
I’ve been mere whiskers away from stampeding into one of my properties with the incentive of throwing a tenant and all her belongings onto the street after she fell 3 months into arrears, and continually fed me lousy excuses. I’m sure many landlords can relate, and if you can’t, it’s only a matter of time. The law of probability dictates that we will all eventually end up with a dud.
In retrospect, it’s a miracle that she wasn’t limping around with my foot firmly wedged up her ass. She will probably never appreciate how I spared her. While I don’t condone illegal and aggressive tactics to evict rogue tenants, I can fully understand why some landlords have taken matters into their own hands.
The wrong & right way to evict tenants
Unfortunately, there is a wrong way of evicting tenants rogue tenants, which often results in the landlord paying hefty penalties. Yes, it’s unfair.
In many cases, the landlord will truly believe they’re taking the right legal steps, but they’re usually not. The typical mentality is, “My tenant is late on rent, so I can walk into the property and kick him/her out”
While I understand the logic, it’s not how the whole thing works. Alas, tenants continue to have rights even when they cross over to the dark side.
Not only is Landlord law frustrating, but it’s also an extremely complex area, and each case generally varies by circumstances.
Common reasons for eviction
From my experience, these are the most common reasons for eviction…
- Rent Arrears (late rent)
- Anti-social behaviour
- Damage to property
- Illegal/unauthorised sub-letting
- Pets without permission
Starting the Eviction process…
Eviction should always be the last resort; communication and compromising usually always works out better. It’s always best to ask yourself if eviction is really necessary before starting the process, or even uttering the possibility to your tenants! If there are’s an alternative solution, it’s always worth exploring it.
But obviously life isn’t always peaches and cream, and evictions can often be the most practical and sensible solutions for landlords, unfortunately.
In many cases, it is relatively straightforward to ‘start the process’ of eviction by serving a simple eviction notice, and that’s usually enough to scare tenants into submission. So there’s no need to call in the professionals. However, failing that, things can start to get tedious. You can read more about the process of how you can evict a tenant here.
Should you use an eviction service? When to seek professional help…
Just my humble opinion…
- When you want the quickest resolution (which often results in the cheapest solution)
- When you’re dealing with a particularly complex case
- When you have no idea or confidence to do it yourself
- When you just can’t be assed to deal with the hassle
Also, I just to make a quick point by sharing my experience with an eviction service…
I had a tenant that fell into arrears (not the same tenant I mentioned earlier, the one fortunate enough to escape without being kicked in the ass), so I served him with a Section 8 eviction notice. I was hoping he would 1) pay his arrears 2) vacate the premises sharpish. But to be honest, I would have been satisfied with just the latter – just to get him out of my hair! He was very draining (as every tenant that falls into arrears is).
Like I said, serving a notice is usually enough to resolve these matters.
Painstakingly, he ignored the eviction notice. As you can imagine, I was not only pissed, but also worried.
I then decided to seek the help of an eviction service. They advised me to use their ‘eviction notice service’, which is typically the first step to an eviction, and a step I had already taken (which was ignored)! But they said when the notice is sent by a proper eviction service, tenants usually take the situation A LOT more seriously!
Long story short, a branded eviction notice served by a professional eviction company did the trick. The tenant soon packed up his crap and rolled out.
So, the point is, the message can be a lot stronger when you use a professional eviction service, because it shows the tenant you mean business, and you’re willing to spend the money!
Make of that what you will.
It’s often cheaper to use a professional eviction service
If you feel out of your depth and/or lack experience, my advice is to seek professional help from a service that actually specialises in evictions. Taking the professional route may sound expensive, but it can actually work out to be the cheaper option because unlike you, they know what they’re doing and they know the quickest and most-effective routes to take.
Many landlords try to tackle the eviction process themselves but end up shooting themselves in the foot because they take the wrong turn somewhere along the process, consequently delaying the entire process, which ultimately may result in further loss.
For example, if you make a mistake with your paperwork, and your case goes to court, the judge may kick out your case, which means you would have wasted potentially several months while waiting to get to a court hearing. You will then probably have to wait another several months before you can get another court hearing.
Yes, in many cases, tenants vacate once they receive notice (invalid or otherwise) so no one actually realises an invalid notice has been served, but the risks of serving an invalid notice is best avoided.
Here’s a list of Tenant Eviction Services
Just to clarify, I’ve not used the majority of these services, but they’re services I’m aware of and have been highly recommended. Each company offer various eviction services and vary in prices. Look through the list and see which company offers the most appropriate service for you.
| Eviction Service | Rating | Price From | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Landlord Legal Service | Rating TrustPilot Reviews | Price From FREE | Notes I've started to get inundated with enquiries from landlords requiring assistance with problematic tenants, so I reached out to one of the leading tenant eviction specialists in the country, LegalforLandlords - they have agreed to give Property Investment Project followers free legal advice and special discounted rates! Here are some of the perks...
| More Info Call for Free Advice on: 0333 240 8255 Email Support Book FREE Case Review Discount Code: PIPLANDLORD |
Eviction Service | Rating Google Reviews | Price £89.95Inc VAT | Notes
| More Info |
Eviction Service | Rating Google Reviews | Price £120Inc VAT | Notes
| More Info |
Please note, I try my best to keep the information of each service up-to-date, but you should read the T&C’s from their website for the most up-to-date information.
Only use regulated and qualified eviction services
Word of warning, there are unregulated and unqualified eviction services polluting the space, resulting in huge errors and costs for their clients (landlords), so it’s critical to use a reputable and qualified solution.
The services I have listed are all regulated, and have been providing eviction services for many years.
Did I miss any out?
Want to be added to the list? Read details on how to get listed.
Has anyone used a professional eviction service that they can recommend? Moreover, anyone used a service which was shit? Name and shame.
Good luck!
Whichever route you decide to take, whether you decide to ‘lone wolf’ it or seek professional help, good luck. I know how difficult and frustrating these situations can be, especially with all the waiting around.
Dealing with dead-beat, unscrupulous tenants is the worst aspect of being a landlord. I’ve been there, it’s absolutely gut-wrenching at times. There’s nothing I can do or say to relieve you from the pain, all I can say is that the frustration and fear is normal, and the situation WILL get resolved if you take the correct procedures.
Disclaimer: I'm just a landlord blogger; I'm 100% not qualified to give legal or financial advice. I'm a doofus. Any information I share is my unqualified opinion, and should never be construed as professional legal or financial advice. You should definitely get advice from a qualified professional for any legal or financial matters. For more information, please read my full disclaimer.
Hey Landlord
I am beginning to understand now why there is something like a MILLION EMPTY HOUSES in the UK
I mean, for many property owners the risk of letting to tenants is just too much and the rewards too small. Leave it empty, fund the place out of capital and sit back and relax and wait for the market to turn up - as it always does.
Failing that, if you must rent the places out - look forward to big rent rises this year: no new houses built for 2 years, social housing in decline, owner occupancy in decline, all spells rising demand for rental props and rising yields - time to celebrate!
cheers
DOugal