Terry - Somerset
Established Member
Judgement is clearly needed with respect to property rights. Although not always a simple black or white choice there are two fundamental approaches.But it's also somebody's home. Evict them by all means as long as they are not made homeless, or forced into poorer housing, or had all their essential connections with the area and neighbourhood broken (access to work, school, friends, family etc etc).
A tenant may default as life can throw up difficult challenges for all - relationship breakdown, job loss, accidents etc. They need help.
Society needs to operate compassionately to reasonably support the tenant, recognising that ultimately the property owner has rights over the property. The state may either pay the rent due or find alternative appropriate accommodation.
At the other extreme tenants can behave with complete disregard for the property owners rights and the contract signed at the start of the tenancy.
Bluntly, the property owner/landlord has no responsibility for the tenant and must be able to recover their property (and any other costs) quickly and easily. If society still feels obligated to provide accommodation, it must be a cost to society not the landlord.
A personal view - membership of society involves rights and obligations. Those who fail to meet their obligations without good reason are effectively forfeiting their rights.
grossly unpleasant folk - fine. As a landlord I would have no problem letting them