Why landlords need protection from rogue tenants

What happens if you wander into Tesco, help yourself to some food and walk out without paying? I haven’t tried it but I reckon those big burly security guards that Tesco employs (well, they do in my corner of South London) will be straight after you. The police will probably turn up blue lights a-blazing, arrest you and it will all end up in court. At best, you’ll have to pay Tesco for the food. At worst, you’ll have a criminal record.

But the law works a bit differently when it comes to landlords and tenants. While rogue landlords face various fines and penalties, tenants are seemingly free to fleece one landlord after another.

Take my friend Bob (not his real name). He’s a nice guy. His tenant – we’ll call her Miss T – decided to stop paying the rent one day without explanation but thought it was perfectly fine to carry on living in Bob’s flat.