When you start out as a landlord from the age of 22 you learn a thing or two about managing property. This week, James Davis, portfolio landlord & property expert at Upad, shares some top tips on handling tenant evictions.

Too quick to evict? Landlords don’t be too hasty.

When tenants fall into rent arrears, landlords can be far too quick in issuing eviction notices. More often than not, they trigger long-winded, expensive and unnecessary legal procedures.

Here are some pain-free owner-tenant resolutions which have proven significantly more effective in my experience.

All pain no gain

Dealing with rent arrears is a common cause of irritation for property owners. Landlords lose £9.9bn to rent arrears and property damage each year – that’s £6,600 for every landlord in the UK.

For landlords suffering these shortfalls, an assured shorthold tenancy can be terminated by reliance on section 21 or section 8 of the Housing Act 1988, although they must give a minimum of two months’ written notice. To make matters worse, the tenant is allowed to ignore the court order for a further two weeks in addition to this.

Find a creative resolution

Where possible, it can be more cost-effective to take a deep breath and resolve your tenant issues amicably. Access Legal found that 46 per cent of tenants in rent arrears fail to pay up even after court proceedings. In these cases, simply offering informal payment extensions can yield better results.

From experience, the trick is to approach your tenant with an open mind.

For example, I have a tenant of five years who lost his job six months after moving in. By communicating regularly, we managed the situation and I kept an excellent resident. To safeguard this approach and maintain trust, let your tenant know you are contacting their guarantor to gain reassurance on the situation.

Make your life easier

The succession of events stemming from an eviction notice can quickly take their toll on landlords, until it becomes very clear that the processes behind issuing s.21 or s.8 notices are more hassle than they are worth. Therefore, it's always wise to try to find an amicable solution first, even if it means compromise on your part.

For free advice on how to develop a balanced view of your own situation, join my webinar. I’ll be sharing personal and practical advice for you to take forward. Register at info.upad.co.uk/PropertyHelp.