Back in January 2013 I systemised all of my property business documentation and customised my online property management system that I will action with the introduction of Universal Credit (UC). I have made it a mandatory condition of my tenancy agreements that the tenant must get all LHA/UC monies paid into their Credit Union Account. Many of my tenants have already pre-signed various documentation and I have deliberately asked them not to date it (just like when a solicitor would ask you to sign an exchange contract to buy a property), so for those tenants where I am currently getting direct payment, I have arranged for them to sign the paperwork ready for the change.

Some of my tenants I still need to contact, but within the next two months every tenant of mine will be told that they must open a Credit Union account and follow the system for payment of their rent on an ongoing basis. Given the challenges posed by this government's imposed change and its obvious threat to my rental property income, those tenants who fail to action this will be evicted. They are currently on periodic tenancies at the moment, so I have no problems asking the non-compliers to leave and as of today's date, I have at least a clear six months for all of my tenants to comply.

All new tenants will have to comply with the system I have implemented or they will not become a tenant - opening a Credit Union account and signing all required documentation is now a mandatory procedure to get a tenancy for one of my properties, so if this is not followed, a potential tenant will not get the opportunity to sign an AST.

Interestingly enough - all new tenants I have taken on this year have been more than happy to comply and that way they know exactly how much money they have left in their weekly budget and then don't have a landlord chasing them for unpaid rent.