Practical tips

We've had lots of calls from private tenants whose landlords are facing court action due to mortgage arrears. Understandably, these tenants are very worried about this.

A tenant’s rights in this situation depend on

• the terms of the landlord’s mortgage
• the lender’s knowledge of the tenancy
• whether there is a current fixed-term tenancy in place

Tenants can be in a vulnerable position if their landlord  

Our advisers have noted an increase in the number of people contacting us for help because their home is being sold by their private landlord. 

We’ve already received as many calls about this issue in the first 9 days of December than we had during the whole of March, April and May of this year.It’s important that tenants know what their rights are if their landlord decides to sell their home, and know how to get advice and help if they do need to move. 

Housing Rights is piloting a new mediation service to help resolve disputes between private tenants and their registered landlords.  The service is funded by the Department for Communities and will provide an alternative way to resolve disputes in the sector.