ARAG’s BTE Claims Manager, Heather Wilmot, hosted the roundtable and there was broad consensus that early and open communication between landlords and tenants, ideally mediated by the agent, is the single most important factor in preventing disputes from escalating. The panel also warned that long delays in the courts made it all the more important to find a mutually satisfactory resolution without having to issue proceedings.
Elizabeth Dwomoh, a barrister at Lamb Chambers, shared her experience of proceedings over the past, difficult year, including the new mediation process that has recently been launched to relieve pressure on the courts.
The panel explained that the problems facing tenants, landlords and the courts are inevitably going to be with us for some time, and delved into some of the structural issues that have plagued the private rental sector for many years and which make both relief and reform unlikely in the near future.
Click here to watch a recording of the webinar