Documents

Use this letter if you are homeless officer to notify a private landlord that:

• you have been contacted by their tenant for advice and help with housing, and
• the section 21 notice they've served appears to be invalid.

The letter also:

• asks the landlord to contact you
• includes inserts that you can amend as appropriate to confirm the reason(s) why the section 21 notice appears to be invalid
• confirms that the landlord will need to obtain a possession order and bailiff's warrant to end the tenancy if they require possession and the tenant is unable to find alternative housing
• confirms that the Council aims to help landlords wherever possible, e.g. if they are experiencing difficulties relating to non-payment of rent or an outstanding housing benefit claim
• confirms that the landlord should seek independent legal advice if they need advice about how to obtain possession or advice about the issues discussed in the letter (e.g. the implications of not protecting a tenancy deposit).

Housing officers will often wish to broach the above subjects verbally (not least because this can be a more productive way of explaining to the landlord what help might be on offer from the council).

However, this letter may be useful, for example when contact by telephone hasn't been possible.