No let-up until we get our £20,000
Landlords tackle property company in rent debt row
A couple who claim they are owed thousands of pounds in unpaid rent have called for a ban on the letting agency at the centre of the row.
Landlords in South Africa and Germany, as well as in the UK, are chasing Lanarkshire-based Location for cash. Court decrees amounting to nearly £20,000 have been issued against the business.
The f irm are run by Kenny Stenhouse, a director of Letting Hamilton Ltd and Letting Airdrie Ltd with his partner Carrie Little.
A Facebook group has been set up by al leged v ict ims to share information and advice.
Lindsay Chick, his wife Lesley and their son David made a 900-mile round trip from their home in Kent to a tribunal in Glasgow to insist Stenhouse’s company be kept off a new national register which agents must join.
They claim Location, which managed f ive proper t ies in Lanarkshire for them, failed to hand over about £7000 in rent from tenants.
From October, anyone carrying out agency letting work in Scotland must be registered or face a fine of up to £50,000 and six months in jail.
The Chicks raised a case against Location at the First-tier Tribunal, who deals with disputes in the private property sector.
Lindsay, 62, told the tribunal: “I feel people behaving in this way shouldn’t be allowed to trade.
“We’re desperate to do everything we can to ensure others are protected from the experience we’ve had at the hands of Location.”
The couple said they have let property through Stenhouse, 52, for 10 years. They say payment of rent was a lway s “pat chy ” but “deteriorated significantly” by the end of last year and they received no money after January. David, 32, said: “With the amount of money we’re now owed, I can’t afford to pay bills.”
Sten house , of Bothwel l , Lanarkshire, fai led to attend Tuesday’s hearing.
Tribunal chairman David Preston said Location had emailed the tribunal office, but there had been “no substantive response” to the allegations.
Preston also said the firm had breached the recently-introduced code of practice for letting agents.
He said a ruling on the Chicks’ complaint could include an order for Location to pay the money allegedly owed – but warned they might have to use sheriff officers to enforce it.
Landlords dealing with Location are also worried about the fate of tenants’ deposits which must be lodged by the letting agent.
One landlord, who did not want to be named, said: “My tenant paid Location a £500 deposit then found it hadn’t been lodged with the nominated scheme.
“Location owe me nearly £1800 but my main concern is stopping them taking money from other people. I went to the police but was told they won’t be taking action.”
Police Scotland said: “Following inquiries, no criminal ity was established.”
Stenhouse refused to comment and referred us to his lawyer, Jonny Nisbet, who didn’t return our calls.