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Is change due for buy-to-let tenants

The government is to consider forcing mortgage lenders to give more notice to tenants who could be evicted when their buy-to-let landlord faces repossession.

Currently lenders must send a letter to tenants at least two weeks in advance of a repossession hearing involving their landlord. If approved, this would rise to seven weeks notice.

Lenders say they already make every effort to contact tenants who could be evicted.

Landlords with buy-to-let mortgages are now falling behind with their mortgage payments quicker than owner occupiers according to the latest figures from the Council for Mortgage lenders (CML). Figures for July to September 2008 show a jump of almost 50% in buy-to-let landlords who are behind by three months or more.

Regulations regarding giving notice to tenants are laid out in the Civil Procedure Rules under the oversight of the Ministry of Justice.

It said the Civil Procedure Rules Committee is currently discussing whether to change the rules to give tenants seven weeks notice of a repossession hearing instead of the current two.

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