{"id":136553,"date":"2026-11-13T09:59:32","date_gmt":"2026-11-13T09:59:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.citylets.co.uk\/blog\/?p=136553"},"modified":"2026-11-13T09:59:32","modified_gmt":"2026-11-13T09:59:32","slug":"upper-tribunal-ruling-highlights-limits-of-eviction-for-rent-arrears","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.citylets.co.uk\/blog\/upper-tribunal-ruling-highlights-limits-of-eviction-for-rent-arrears\/","title":{"rendered":"Upper Tribunal Ruling Highlights Limits of Eviction for Rent Arrears"},"content":{"rendered":"

A recent decision of the Upper Tribunal for Scotland (UTS) provides an important reminder that even substantial rent arrears will not necessarily make eviction reasonable. In Langah Limited v Riaz & Ahmed (2026UT73), the Upper Tribunal upheld a First-tier Tribunal (FTS) decision refusing an eviction order despite arrears of approximately \u00a38,554, a figure which included late payment charges. The arrears were equivalent to around eight months’ rent.<\/p>\n

The FTS accepted that the arrears were significant but found that the tenant had taken meaningful steps to address both current and historic arrears. For approximately six months prior to the hearing, she had maintained payment of the ongoing monthly rent while also making modest contributions towards the arrears. The FTS was satisfied that she intended to continue doing so.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

A key factor in the decision was the likely impact of eviction on the tenant and her young children. The FTS found that she was not entitled to state assistance for housing or other benefits and that eviction would likely result in homelessness. The FTS placed considerable weight on this factor.<\/p>\n

The landlord appealed, arguing that excessive weight had been given to the prospect of homelessness and insufficient weight to the scale and duration of the arrears. However, the UTS held that the FTS had carried out the required statutory balancing exercise and made no error of law. While another tribunal may legitimately have reached a different conclusion, that alone was not sufficient to justify appeal.<\/p>\n

The decision is particularly interesting when contrasted with Mackellar v Carlin (2025UT19), an earlier decision where the UTS overturned a refusal of eviction, finding that the FTS had relied on unsupported assumptions regarding homelessness and the landlord’s financial circumstances.<\/p>\n

Taken together, these cases demonstrate that eviction for rent arrears in Scotland is never automatic. The reasonableness test remains highly fact-sensitive. For landlords, the decision highlights the importance of presenting clear evidence of the arrears history, the financial impact of ongoing non-payment, efforts made to secure compliance with repayment arrangements, and the tenant’s prospects of maintaining future payments. Ultimately, even substantial arrears may not justify eviction where payments are forthcoming.<\/p>\n

For advice on rent arrears, eviction proceedings or other private rented sector matters, contact our team at prs@tcyoung.co.uk or visit our Private Rented Sector page<\/a> to find out how we can help.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A recent decision of the Upper Tribunal for Scotland (UTS) provides an important reminder that even substantial rent arrears will not necessarily make eviction reasonable. In Langah Limited v Riaz & Ahmed (2026UT73), the Upper Tribunal upheld a First-tier Tribunal (FTS) decision refusing an eviction order despite arrears of approximately \u00a38,554, a figure which included …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":58703,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[162],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-136553","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-legal","legal"],"yoast_head":"\r\nUpper Tribunal Ruling Highlights Limits of Eviction for Rent Arrears - 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