Landlords may face civil proceedings under a new act of parliament
The Immigration Act 2014 is set to be sample tested in selected areas of the UK later on this year. Eventually it will be rolled out nationwide and landlords need to be aware of the implications of the act.
Lets be absolutely crystal clear from the outset. As a responsible landlord, you must NOT under any circumstances discriminate against a prospective tenant for reasons of race, religion or ethnicity (as is the case for disability, sexual orientation and disability).
However, this new act of parliament makes it incumbent upon landlords to ensure they carry out due diligence before taking on a new tenant.
The implications of not doing so mean that you may face civil action and a resultant penalty.
Regulation in the lettings industry is tightening up (and rightly so). This is for the benefit of all parties, tenants, landlords and agents alike.
We are specialists in the field of lettings and have very strict protocols in place when it comes to referencing prospective tenants. Mortgage companies make applicants work hard to evidence their credit worthiness. Why shouldn’t you as landlord do the same? Why risk your investment on a hunch or gut feeling? Nothing compares to proper background checks and good quality referencing. This is what we at Belvoir Stortford do day in day out.
