Landlord Action recovers £16k from rogue letting agent

The new series of Channel 5’s ‘Nightmare Tenants Slum Landlords’ has launched featuring cases handled by eviction specialists Landlord Action.

Related topics:  Landlords
Warren Lewis
10th June 2019
Paul Shamplina 555

Episode two, which airs tonight (Monday 10th June, 9pm), sees founder of Landlord Action, Paul Shamplina, helping two landlords track down £16,000 they’re owed by rogue letting agent Lang and Ward.

The latest series once again delves into the dark side of Britain’s overheating rental market. Gaining unique access into the lives of the ‘haves’ and the ‘have nots’ of Generation Rent. The eight episodes follow the work of a letting agent trying to keep a roof over their tenants’ heads, and cameras are on the frontline with housing teams as they try to protect vulnerable tenants living in squalor and dangerous conditions. Conversely, the series also witnesses eviction experts, including Landlord Action, helping frantic landlords who can’t get their tenants to pay – or move out.

One particularly unique case will be shown tonight. Married landlords, Monwara and Mohammed, hired East London letting agent Lang and Ward to manage their property, only to then discover they had been pocketing their tenant’s rent. With a new company name above the door, familiar employees claiming ignorance and a violent confrontation, the landlords are left out in the cold. But maybe the doorstep isn’t in vain, a few minutes later the landlords receive a call from the letting agent, and eviction expert Paul Shamplina attempts to chase down the £16,000 the landlords are owed.

Paul comments: “If ever people needed to understand the significance of using a letting agent which has Client Money Protection, this is it. Ironically, these rogues, Lang and Ward, attempted to join our sister company, Client Money Protect, but were refused membership as they had doctored and falsified their bank statements. Now that CMP is mandatory for all letting agents, greater protection for landlords’ rents and tenants’ deposits is in place. In this case, Monwara and Mohammed were extremely lucky to be able to collect their stolen rent back, but unfortunately many other landlords who contacted us were not so lucky as the business closed down. I only hope that Trading Standards takes significant enforcement action and gets some sort of justice for those who have lost money.

Some letting agents will find the market more challenging now that the Tenant Fees Ban is in place so, while I would always recommend landlords use a letting agent to fully manage their property, it is imperative they carry out thorough due diligence on their prospective agent first. This includes ensuring they are a member of a redress scheme and have CMP.”

Watch Nightmare Tenants Slum Landlords on Channel 5, Mondays at 9pm

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