The government has thrown many obstacles in the way of landlords attempting to evict tenants since Covid struck but one of the most onerous is the recently-introduced Review Hearing.
It was introduced in September as part of the government’s attempt to prioritise the most urgent cases.
But they require such a huge effort to comply with that leading evictions specialist Landlord Action has now set up a dedicated team to help landlords complete the paperwork needed to get through the process, the first to do so.
The purpose of a Review Hearing, which is carried out over the phone, is to determine whether the landlord’s case should proceed to a full hearing.
Bundles of joy
But to determine this, landlords or their solicitors are required to provide a Review Bundle.
This includes the claims form, particulars of the claim, defence, rent statements for the last two years with a running total of arrears, daily rate of rent and interest, the tenancy agreement, statements setting out previous attempts to recover arrears and the effect of Covid on the landlord plus any information on the effect of Covid on the tenants.
The Review Bundle must be filed at court via email and a copy issued to the tenants 14 days prior to the Review Hearing. If the bundle is not filed, cases can be struck out.
Paul Shamplina (left), founder of Landlord Action says: “Whether a landlord’s case proceeds as priority to a Substantive Hearing will be determined by the evidence submitted prior to the hearing so there is no margin for error.”
Read more about the evictions process under Covid.
At what stage of the eviction process does this refer to? Is it prior to getting the possession order?
The court review is a joke. I was given a date and time for review. And I had to take annual leave from my nhs job, to ensure I kept this time free, and guess what happens – no one calls me for review.