PropTech tool will help eviction process under Renters Reform Bill changes

A new communications log feature has been introduced by a PropTech supplier which allegedly makes it easier to gather evidence for arrears cases.

It’s come from automated rental payment service PayProp, which says the feature has been added to take account of eviction process changes likely as a result of the Renters Reform Act.

The Bill remove ls Section 21 evictions and, in the absence of clear proof, will require Section 8 cases to be heard in courts.

The feature records every e-mail sent from the PayProp platform, including automated tenant invoices, direct debit confirmations, payment receipts, arrears reminders and tenant statements. 

The log shows a copy of the e-mail, whether it could be delivered to the recipient’s inbox, whether it was opened, when, and how many times.

Thanks to PayProp's bank integration, the financial information held on the platform always reflects the money held in the agency client account, which means the figures in client e-mails are always correct at the time of sending. 

As a result, the information in the new communications log, combined with information held in PayProp’s existing audit log, gives letting agencies a picture of a tenant’s indebtedness and response to rental invoices and arrears reminders. 

This data can then be used as evidence if a court case is necessary to recover unpaid rent.

Neil Cobbold, PayProp UK managing director, says: “We know agents and landlords are worried about the impact of eviction changes in the Renters Reform Bill, as it will almost certainly lead to more agents supporting landlords in court cases. That’s part of the reason why our development team has been so focused on getting this feature ready in advance of the legislation becoming law.

“Armed with the new communications log along with our existing audit log and suite of reports, agencies will be able to clearly demonstrate to a tenant when they were asked to pay the rent, when they opened the e-mail, how much they needed to pay, when payment reminders were sent, and how much rent was paid. The hope is, with this weight of evidence, PayProp-powered agencies can help their landlords avoid going to court for arrears evictions.”