TDS Resolution provides a free and impartial dispute resolution service for landlords and tenants with the aim of resolving disputes and maintaining tenancies.
In this month’s case study, the landlord asked TDS Resolution to mediate on a matter of rent arrears. The tenant accepted the invitation to mediation and we began the conciliation process.
The dispute
The tenant had not paid rent for several months. The landlord had a mortgage to pay, and the lack of rent was causing them a degree of stress and worry. The landlord did not wish to start lengthy possession proceedings and hoped to keep the tenancy in place.
The tenant had withheld rent as they believed the landlord had breached their legal obligations with regards to the property and the tenancy. The tenant felt this issue had caused them to have unnecessarily high bills in respect of certain aspects of the property. As a result, they felt the landlord should offset this cost against rent owed by way of compensation.
The landlord remedied the issue once the problem was brought to their attention and felt that, as the issue with the property was now resolved, rent should be paid, including the arrears.
The mediation
Through the dispute resolution service, the parties were able to air their grievances, explain their concerns and discuss options going forward in a neutral setting with our impartial mediation. By giving each a platform to explain and listen, the landlord and tenant were able to understand each perspective better.
This process resulted in the landlord offering the tenant a proposal with regards to the arrears, to include an amount of compensation for the tenant. The tenant accepted this proposal on their behalf. The tenant, in return, agreed to resume normal rental payments.
The resolution
The dispute was mutually resolved, enabling the parties to draw a line under their grievances. The tenant, having been compensated, agreed to restart usual rental payments, which enabled normal landlord and tenant relations to resume.
Communication is often all that’s required to resolve a situation like this case. Frequently, both parties want the tenancy to continue but high emotions and a breakdown in communication can prevent that from happening.
The team at TDS Resolution carry out over 20,000 tenancy deposit dispute resolutions each year and are skilled at resolving disputes between landlords and tenants. If you need impartial and confidential help in resolving tenancy issues including rent arrears, repair, entry rights, breach of tenancy terms, contact us to chat about your case. We’d be happy to help.
Contact us free of charge:
Author
George Chrysanthou
Executive Assistant
