TENANTS who have been evicted or face eviction from their homes may have a claim against their landlords, a North-East law firm has said.

Clark Willis said it is dealing with increasing numbers of housing issues involving tenants, and that some cases it has dealt with have seen the tenant evicted as a result of the landlord’s failures – even though they have done nothing wrong.

The Darlington-based solicitor firm said it had come across one case where a tenant had given their landlord a payment equivalent to ten years’ rent in advance, based upon the understanding they would remain in the property for that period.

But after only a few years, the tenant became subject to eviction proceedings because the landlord had failed to pay the mortgage.

Kelly Bushby, head of Clark Willis’ housing department, advised tenants who believe they may be in a situation where they may be subject to wrongful eviction should seek help immediately.

“Leaving matters, or waiting to see what will happen is not an option I would advise,” she said.

“Anyone who has received a letter warning them that their home is at risk, or in fact anyone who is simply unsure about their future home security, should call a solicitor immediately.”

The issue of tenancy has come to the fore recently after Northumbria Police confirmed they are investigating North-East Property Buyers and Newcastle Home Loans, both based in Gateshead, on the referral of the Financial Services Authority. As many as 2,000 tenants in the region are thought to have received letters warning them about the future of their homes.

Mrs Bushby said that if a tenant can argue a contractual right to remain in their property, then any eviction arising out of their landlord’s failure to pay the mortgage effectively amounts to unlawful eviction. This, she said, may even be the case if the eviction has already taken place and the tenant no longer lives there.