photo credit: Alex Barth
Tenants who fail to pay their rent are getting a shock in one part of the UK after an estate agent employed hard-line name-and-shame tactics.
Liverpool-based Sutton Estates has been putting “rent dodger” signs outside the homes of people who persistently fail to fork out.
The Liverpool Daily post has since reported the agent has attracted extra interest from buy-to-let investment property landlords.
The signs read “Rent Dodger Lives Here” and also depict the silhouette of a man running away.
They have attracted a mixture of praise and controversy and have even prompted the TUC to look into their legality, according to the Daily Post.
Officials form the National Landlords Association (NLA) condemned the practice, calling it “ill-advised”.
NLA head of communications Simon Gordon said:
“While we understand the threat to both landlords and letting agents of tenants failing to keep up with their rental payments, this form of public humiliation is a recipe for disaster and does nothing for the reputation of the sector.”
It also warned the practice could be illegal and said landlords should seek possession of the property as soon as possible if someone consistently fails to pay rent.
Landlords should then pursue the tenant for owed money through “proper and legal” channels, the Association added.
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