A landlord struggling with an eviction has spoken out against the system which he says is heavily skewed in favour of tenants.

Paul Calvert is owed more than £4,247 in unpaid rent, with additional costs accruing as the eviction and court process drags on for months, The Cumberland News reports. The landlord, who is from Carlisle but lives in Bethlehem, says an upcoming court date has added another £1,700 on top of the rent arrears.

He hopes to be granted a possession order at the upcoming court hearing but fears his tenant might apply for an extension due to ‘exceptional circumstances’, which means the judge could further extend notice to vacate by an extra six weeks.

Biased system

“The whole system is biased toward the tenant,” says Calvert. “It seems I can’t do anything unless I go to court and get the bailiffs to deal with it. I have two houses to rent, and if the other person were to do this, I would be bankrupt. Imagine if I had a very tight mortgage and needed to make repayments - my house could have been repossessed.”

However, Conor O'Shea, head of campaigns at Generation Rent, argues that the balance of power is skewed towards landlords.

“The notion that the rental system in this country is biased towards the tenant is laughable,” says O’Shea. “Repossessions like the one described by Mr Calvert will continue to be legal and the delays in court proceedings, while unfortunate, must not be a reason to delay the strengthening of tenants’ rights in this country.”