to think landlords should be crb checked

[Unwind]

I don't imagine it would have helped protect Jo Yeates, even if her LL is found to be guilty, but it has made me think about the powerful position private landlords are in. There are too many stories, on here and elsewhere of them abusing that. Prospective tenants have to provide references, but landlords provide nothing, and they keep a set of keys.

My current landlord has threatened to have my neighbours killed. A previous landlord (who lived in the same building as me) once let himself in to my flat when he knew I was in there alone.

Bucharest If all weird blokes with funny hair has access to my home- I would want them CRB checked! this comes down to access.

Also Bucharest being a LL is such easy money as anybody can do it.

I've only rented as I said in desirable properties in good areas and have had LL problems. The not so desirable properties in dodgy areas will be peanuts to buy so any Tom Dick or Harry can do it.If you were criminally minded it would be the ideal job,access whenever you want to rifle through people's paperwork,steal petty cash etc.If denied access you get the heavies round. Money for doing buggar all and letting a property go to wrack and ruin.

Things really should be tightened up and if you can't afford to be a landlord or have problems with having a basic CRB check you shouldn't be one.

What I think this comes down to is, would you feel happy with someone with a criminal record letting themselves into your home?

Sugar you're a normal sane person with no criminal intent sadly not everybody is the same which is why as home owners we all like to lock our doors at night.

YABU - we can regulate against every possible scenario where there maybe some nutter.

Who wants to regulate against EVERY situation? Just the ones where the nutter in question can come in my home while I'm sleeping.

Put a bolt on the door then

Bucharest I missed the point where Jefferies was charged and tried and found guilty .
He hasn't been found guilty of anything yet other than having odd hair and being a bit of an eccentric. Steady on, hmm?
I can see the difficulties from both sides as someone who has had good LLs and bad and having had someone renting my house who did not treat it properly. But I do not think it fair that all LLs should be excluded from their own properties because there are some bad ones out there.

I agree he hasn't been charged but the fact is tenants are vulnerable and this case has highlighted this in a big way.

To just say heyho most LL are fine lets turn a blind eye to the tenants at risk is wrong.

Come on we all know there are dodgy people out there and criminals. Anybody can be a LL, to just pretend they're all hardworking decent people is wrong. There are always the exception and sadly as a tenant you are very vulnerable when that exception becomes reality.

One day it maybe your 18 year old dd leaving home for the first time and living alone.You may well then wish things were made safer and procedures put into place so you can sleep at night 100s of miles away-I know I will.

Also dp rented off 2 criminals,1 he found out later was part of some gang. He had a deposit racket going but he got very nasty when questioned about it. Dp and his mates went to the police(I know they were young) and it turns out he was well known for having dodgy businesses. Now personal safety aside dp and his mates would have got their deposits back if he'd been CRB checked as they'd have gone elsewhere on finding out he had a criminal past.

MilaMae - not sure CRB is the answer but I can see your point.

This is a total panic post and really is daft. I rent, my landlord looks pretty insane actually, if we are to judge on looks like the posts about Joanna Yeates LL' arrest.
Sometimes my LL turns up unannounced in my front garden and starts cutting the hedges for me. Or gritting my steps in icy weather. I don't want to get caught up in this silly panic but I already am and I am annoyed at myself for that.

I used to rent from a really dodgy guy, his wife threatened to throw me down the stairs. But he may well not have a criminal record.

Also the cost of that would probably just be reflected in an increase in rental costs, and that would really suck.

Nobody is panicking the man in question may well be innocent.

The op is simply thinking about the powerful position LLs are in and the implications. She raises a valid point.

He hasn't even been charged - maybe a bit soon to decide all landlords are evil murdering psychopaths in waiting?

Sounds panicky to me.

"Put a bolt on the door then"

a) you aren't allowed
b) doesn't stop them letting themselves in when you are out and potentially walking out with your property

So should all estate agenst be CRB just in case they show someone around a property and they do away with the client ? - or should all potential tenants/ proerty buyers be CRB in case they kidnap the estate agent ? - has all happened before .

In fact why dont we all get electronically tagged at birth and have cameras installed in our belly buttons !

Manatee I'm panicking. You know why? Because I have an abusive landlord who lets himself into the property to abuse me and my husband. Good enough reason?

Bad LL's have no comeuppance for causing misery and distress by letting themselves into people's homes

vanitypear "But I do not think it fair that all LLs should be excluded from their own properties because there are some bad ones out there."

And I do not think tenants shouldn't feel safe in their homes just because there are some bad tenants out there.

Difference being, as a LL with bad tenants you are at risk of losing money.
As a tenant with a dodgy landlord who lets themselves in when they want you are at risk of much worse.

I'm a landlord myself and find it a bit ironic that I can expect (indeed demand) references from tenants but never have to provide them myself- I'd be very happy to do so. I've been CRB checked as well (nothing to do with renting out, obviously) and I don't think that would help in the case of renting (it takes months, and anyway how do you CRB check an agency?)

So references from landlords is the ticket, IMO.

Kaloki - I think it is illegal for your landlord to be letting himself in. And seeing as he is doing so to abuse you and your husband, I would call the police.

I don't think you need CRB but after years of renting I think you definitely need a references system that works both ways. Tenants pay to get their own references checked and then pay for a service so it would be nice if we could check if the service provider was legit too. I think a credit check in particular this is going to become particularly important as more amateur landlords go tits up during the worsening recession. If you rent from one of the jokers operating fraudulently without a BTL mortgage when the bank comes to repossess they can kick you out, regardless of whether you paid your rent on the dot every month, without any notice whatsoever. I think that is utterly appalling so a credit check is needed to know you're not about to rent from some idiot on the financial brink.

I am not panicking - but I was when my former landlord let himself in while I was having a shower. By some miracle I managed to hear him coming in, I had realised he was creepy. I kicked a bedroom door shut on him, wedged a chair under the handle, pulled on clothes and climbed out the window.

I only came back, with some strapping male friends, to clear out my stuff. I sincerely believe that he was coming to attack me - my flatmate had moved out the previous day.

Nobody is assuming all landlords are anything at the ridiculous straw men. But if it helps protect some people, somewhere, it is worth putting more safeguards in place. I think a register like the Scotland one linked to above is a far better idea.