A landlord with a portfolio of more than 100 properties is fighting back against what he calls ‘one-sided legislation against landlords’.
Paul Routledge of Cadogan House Investment Properties in Weston super Mare has created www.landlordreferencing.co.uk so that landlords can reference their tenants directly between one another.
Routledge explained that his system provides an invaluable service to landlords concerned about the suitability of possible tenants.
He said: “13 years of legislation is oppressing the buy to let industry. This legislation was only ever half thought through by a ridiculous government quango. It was introduced to protect the vulnerable but is now being used to cheat and deceive by con artists, skippers and scammers.
“Landlords and their agents have become totally defenceless against what would be considered a crime in any other business.
“If you steal a shirt from a shop, the police will arrest you for theft, if you steal furniture from your landlord the law doesn’t want to know.”
Routledge started Landlords Referencing Services (LRS) as a proactive way to help landlords get references from the one person who knows a tenant’s lifestyle - their last landlord.
With a vast database already he himself found a tenant who owed him £3,800 and trashed his property four years ago.
Routledge says he is exasperated with tenants trashing his property, selling his possessions and running off with the rent, which the council now pays direct into the tenants’ bank account.
He explained why he feels his service is unique from other referencing services out there.
“LRS is pro-active and defends landlords against problem tenants and is not re-active like all other companies.”
However Routledge says he has had some great tenants over the years and stresses that law-abiding tenants will also be looked after under his system.
“The great part about LRS is that good tenants when searched are shown as such and all worries alleviated,” he added.
“It should be stressed that it is not only an early warning system it is also there to praise and recommend the tenants who have and enjoy a decent and honest lifestyle.”
Landlords in Somerset can join the scheme for free throughout 2010.
