We will pursue your tenant for rent arrears on a fixed fee basis. Consider at the outset what you know about the tenant. Are they worth chasing? For example, if the tenant is claiming benefits or is a student it may not be proportionate to spend money pursuing the debt.

Consider at the outset what you know about the tenant. Are they worth chasing? For example, if the tenant is claiming benefits or is a student it may not be proportionate to spend money pursuing the debt.

If the tenant has already left the property you will need the tenant’s forwarding address. If you do not have this information we can trace the debtor. Our fixed fee for tracing the debtor is £120 plus VAT. Click here to trace the debtor.

We will discuss with you what you know about the debtor and we will advise you which legal remedy is the most appropriate. We will then make the application to court and deal with the entire legal process on your behalf.

It is most likely that a small claims summons or attachment of earnings is appropriate. However, there other legal remedies available which we can discuss with you. Please telephone us on 0114 218 4123.

 Instruct us to trace
the debtor - £120 plus VAT

Letter before action/demand letter

£60

Issue of legal proceedings

i. If arrears under £1,500: £260

ii. If arrears are between £1,501-£3,000: £275

iii. If arrears are between £3,001-£5,000: £300

iv. if the arrears are above £5000, please call 0114 218 4321 to discuss the case

Attending the hearing

If after the issue of proceedings, the tenants file a defence, you will be required to pay an additional court fee (allocation fee) of £40 if the claim is for rent arrears of greater than £1,500 and less that £5,000. The court will then list your claim for a hearing. You can chose to represent yourself. It is not a requirement to have legal representation at this hearing and the court is designed to allow you to represent yourself. If however you do want representation then our charge for preparing and representing you will depend on the length of the hearing.

i. If the court list the hearing for a one hour hearing, our charge for preparing and attending the hearing is £480 inclusive of VAT.

ii. If the court list the hearing for a two hour hearing, our charge for preparing and attending the hearing is £720 inclusive of VAT.

iii. If the court lists the hearing for a three hour hearing, our charge for preparing and attending the hearing is £960 inclusive of VAT.

Enforcement

If you are successful at the hearing, the court will order the former tenant/guarantor to pay you an amount of money decided by the court. If the tenant/guarantor fails to pay this sum, you will need to take action to “enforce your judgment”. We will discuss with you the most relevant procedure, the options and our fixed costs for each option. These charges are determined by the court fees which are payable for each of the options. We have not listed our fixed fees as the options are numerous and our fixed fees are determined by the level of the court fee which varies depending on the option most appropriate. We believe it appropriate to provide tailored and specific advice to you depending on the individual circumstances of your claim and we would be happy to discuss with you these options and fixed charges.

If the eviction notice doesn’t work and your tenant is still occupying your property and/or owes you rent, it is time to begin court proceedings. This can be a daunting prospect, so we will do all of the necessary preparation to get the court order, we will pay the court fee and if necessary, we will represent you in court, obtaining an eviction order against your tenant which asks them to vacate the property.

The cost of Step 2 (including court representation) is £600 (plus VAT), please note this does not include the court fee. If the court hearing or waiting period lasts longer than 15 minutes, we charge £75 for each additional 30 minutes. If the case is defended, or requires another hearing, extra charges will apply.

When you have a difficult tenant, you need a competent solicitor to take the stress out of eviction and/or rent arrears recovery. Our approach is a clear three step process charged at a fixed rate, so you can expect an efficient service without the fear of amounting a huge bill along the way.

Step 1 - £150 plus VAT

First, we will read all the documents that you have in relation to the tenancy so we fully understand the situation, ensuring we serve the right sort of notice. A service of notice informs your tenant that you want to evict them and/or that you are taking legal action to recover any rent owed to you. This document, sent with a strongly worded letter written by us, is often all that is needed to evict your tenant and/or collect the rent arrears. We will send this within 48 hours of you instructing us.

The cost of Step 1 is £150 plus VAT

 Step 1 - Eviction notice

Step 2 - £600 plus VAT

If the eviction notice doesn’t work and your tenant is still occupying your property and/or owes you rent, it is time to begin court proceedings. This can be a daunting prospect, so we will do all of the necessary preparation to get the court order, we will pay the court fee and if necessary, we will represent you in court, obtaining an eviction order against your tenant which asks them to vacate the property.

The cost of Step 2 (including court representation) is £600 (plus VAT), please note this does not include the court fee. If the court hearing or waiting period lasts longer than 15 minutes, we charge £75 for each additional 30 minutes. If the case is defended, or requires another hearing, extra charges will apply.

 Step 2 - Possession proceedings

Step 3 - £160 plus VAT

If the tenant still refuses to leave your property after they receive a court order, your next legal option is to use a court bailiff to evict them. We can arrange this and payment on your behalf and we will let you know what eviction date has been set, and advise you on anything else you need to do.

The cost of Step 3 is £160 (plus VAT), please note this does not include the court fee.

 Step 3 - Evicting your tenant