The series, (previously called Nightmare Tenants Slum Landlords), filmed prior to COVID-19 restrictions, follows the frontline work of letting agents, eviction specialists and lawyers helping landlords chase rent arrears and get their properties back; as well as council housing enforcement officers clamping down on slum landlords taking advantage of vulnerable tenants.
In the first returning episode, a young mother of two small children is refusing to pay rent because of the poor conditions of her flat. In Wigan, a routine inspection turns into a potential hoarding case and in Blackpool, a difficult tenant, who is caught continuously stealing electricity from the mains in his property, makes matters worse for letting agent John Bartram with explosive and anti-social behaviour and by refusing to leave despite John going to court.
In episode three, which will air on 1 July, founder of Landlord Action Paul Shamplina makes a return to the show. Landlord Sam bought a house for his mum but when she got ill, she moved back in with him and he converted her house into an HMO. However, one of the tenants stopped paying rent, and 18 months later Sam finds himself nearly £11,000 out of pocket. Later in the series, Paul deals with a number of dodgy letting agents, with two cases relating to “guaranteed rent” agreements and another who has sub-contracted a tenancy to another agent.
Paul Shamplina, comments: “Obviously all of the cases in the show were filmed before the pandemic, but with thousands more landlords now in similar positions, I think the show will resonate with a lot of people. Of course, some of the advice we give in the show and the processes we follow will be different in the current climate and I would urge any landlord with a problem tenant or letting agent to get in touch with us before taking any kind of action so we can give them to the correct and most up to date advice.”
