Landlord recovers 100% of her rent arrears by using PRS tenancy mediation
If you are owed unpaid rent, you’ll know that you have to give tenants up to six months’ notice to leave your property. You’ll then be faced with many months working towards a court hearing - this too can take six months or more, incurring more arrears - and costs - along the way.
You can avoid all of this with mediation
Fortunately, there is an alternative approach. Mediation involves using a neutral third party to talk to the parties involved in a disagreement to try to help them agree a solution. Using the Property Redress Scheme tenancy mediation service brings common sense and expertise to find a solution that works for both landlords and tenants.
This can include an affordable rent payment plan to clear arrears over a period of time agreed with the landlord. In many cases it is also possible to reach agreement with tenants to leave the property. This means you will not need to go to court at all, which can be as much as 90 per cent cheaper and of course also means earlier possession of a property for re-letting.
One of our landlords has recently used us to recover 100 per cent of her unpaid rent. The tenant was willing to talk once they realised that, as mediator, we wanted to understand their position as well as the landlord’s. We explained to the tenant that their rent arrears were not going to go away, but that we could work with both tenant and landlord to find a way to clear them. The landlord, very reasonably, was prepared to allow some time to pay - but also, equally reasonably, wanted their arrears paid within a reasonable time. The tenant opened up to us once they could see that this flexibility was helping them as well as helping the landlord. The mediator explored various financial possibilities and timescales with the tenant, and was able to prepare a payment plan to clear the arrears in full. Mediation took 15 working days, and the arrears were cleared in a little over three months.
What the landlord had to say about us
“My initial contact at the Property Redress Scheme was with Julie Ford, who listened patiently as I unburdened my woes, gave me confidence in the humanity of the organisation, a group whose ethos was clearly to help, not merely to make money.
This is where the experience of the mediation company and the reassuring presence of Steve Bowen, the appointed mediator on my case, who metaphorically held my hand through many frantic emails and phone calls, really came into the fore.” - Alison, landlord
We have seen both tenants and their landlords in difficult financial circumstances, and have unrivalled experience in tailoring creative solutions to each specific situation.
Why choose the Property Redress Scheme tenancy mediation service?
- We can help whether or not you have served notice: You can use us before or after serving notice. It can work well to serve notice as this focuses the tenant on the seriousness of the situation, and then offer mediation as a more attractive solution
- It’s quick and it’s easy: We can reach an agreement within 10 to 15 working days. Compared with many months working towards a court hearing, mediation provides a much faster result. You only have to speak to us and won’t have to speak to the tenant. We will be the ‘go-between’ trying to find a solution that works for both of you
- You’ve nothing to lose: If agreement can’t be reached, any offers made to help to resolve the issues are set aside leaving you free to continue, if necessary, through the court process
- It saves you time and money: It’s all about finding fast practical solutions without engaging expensive lawyers. Sometimes, offering a compromise to solve things can save you money in the long run
- It’s flexible: Mediation can be done by phone and email when you are available. Within reason, anything is possible as a solution once we have got the conversation going
Call 0203 907 1857 to find out more or start your mediation.
