Ms Louise Loughlin:

If the landlord decides to pursue it through mediation, it would be within the seven weeks. If the landlord chooses to take the adjudication route, it would take 13 weeks. The Deputy is alluding to the landlord actually having vacant possession of the property. If the tenant does not leave following the conclusion of the JTB process, then the landlord would need to pursue that matter further through the District Court.

As part of the improvements we have been making to our dispute services, we now have an early intervention service. In that situation, the landlord could talk to a member of our in-house early intervention team and that member could take the landlord through the process. It is actually quite an effective mechanism that has been in place for a few months now. We will have more updates later in the year. Effectively, our staff will contact the other party directly with a view to trying to resolve the situation. Therefore, it obviates the need to go through a quasi-judicial process. It is trying to get the parties talking via an RTB official to resolve the matter.