*Kensington

We have recently received a few comments advising us to not promote letting agents who are known as dodgy.

If only we were experienced enough to be able to tell who truly deserves to be condemned!

Agent rating websites such as AllAgents.co.uk are full of reviews about agents. Buyers, sellers, renters and landlords are urged to rate and comment them to help other people make better choices. Now almost all reputable agents there have received some very poor reviews. Looks like any agent could become our worst nightmare! Even the agent we’ve had the most pleasant experience with has been referred to as dodgy.

If we don’t know the whole story, then we cannot be sure we’re not about to spread a rumour here that is untrue. The “well wisher” could easily be a competitor, could be leaving out some important details, or is just evil by nature. Just kidding with the last one.

We actually have condemned a few agents proved to be scammers. Remember Hot Lets?

There’s a comment on hold in our blog that says the agent we talk about has deceived them out of £2500… :S That is basically all they say, too.

By publishing this comment that contains such little information, we risk turning our blog into a toilette wall in the long run. Also, would we be in violation of the privacy law if we made accusations and named names without a court judgment or the accused one’s consent?

We have now E-mailed the person who left us that comment, asking if they could tell us the whole story. We’ll see where it leads us.

Statue of Thomas More. Cheyne Walk, Chelsea.

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The number of buy-to-let landlords having problems paying back their mortgage has been increasing dramatically, reports The Guardian. Make sure you know your rights in this.

Tenants living in homes that have been repossessed by the landlord’s mortgage provider can do remarkably little to delay their eviction. It doesn’t matter whether you are completely up to date with their rent or not, in most cases you will have no right to stay in the property after it is repossessed by the lender – assuming they want you out.

The housing charity Shelter says landlords should always warn their tenant if repossession is a possibility, but often tenants will not be aware of any problem until the court sends a notice to the property, informing them that the lender has been given a possession order and the bailiffs will be coming to repossess.

Tenants will be sent a notice (form N54) addressed to the defendant (usually the landlord) and “any other occupiers”. It tells you when bailiffs will be coming. It may only give a few days’ notice of an eviction. Shelter says tenants getting such a letter should seek advice from it (0808-800 4444) or Citizens Advice immediately.

Once the mortgage lender has been given a possession order, anyone living in the property is an “unlawful occupant” and can be evicted by bailiffs. No separate court hearing needs to be held but you should receive written notice. You may have the right to stay on if your tenancy is binding on the lender – if you were already living in the property at the time the mortgage was granted.

Shelter says that lenders may be amenable to allowing tenants to stay on and pay rent to an agent it has appointed. This is at the lender’s discretion. Shelter has campaigned for judges hearing these cases to be given the power to take into account the tenant’s needs, and to be allowed to grant tenants a reasonable period of time to find alternative accommodation.

Read further >> Tenants facing eviction as their landlords default on mortgages