Criminals can now be thrown out of their homes easier, according to Birmingham solicitors Williamson & Soden.
Tenants can now be evicted for serious crimes committed outside the period of the tenancy.
It follows a recent Court of Appeal ruling and means landlords will feel pressure to act, especially where anti-social or undesirable behaviour is involved.
The law gives a landlord the right to obtain a possession order and evict a tenant who has been convicted of an indictable offence – one which can only be tried at Crown Court – where that crime is committed in or in the locality of the tenanted property.
In the Appeal Court case, which concerned a property in Studland, Dorset, a tenant was convicted of downloading pornographic images of children from the internet.
This took place when he lived in his late mother's house, although he had later transferred his tenancy agreement to another property in the same street owned by the same landlord, Raglan Housing Association.
While the arrest occurred beforehand, the tenant was charged after the new tenancy was taken out.
He pleaded guilty and was duly convicted. Raglan only learned of the matter because it was reported extensively in a local newspaper.
"Generally, it was the case that a tenant could only be evicted for indictable crimes committed during the period of the tenancy, whereas now a tenant faces eviction even if the offence occurred before the tenancy was granted," said solicitor and property specialist Louisa Jakeman.
"The Court of Appeal clearly took into account the serious nature of the tenant's offence and there is little doubt that landlords will now be under pressure to evict those with a history of anti-social or intimidating behaviour."
