burden of un-co-operative tenants for landlords.

This was the word from Health and Social Services Minister Nelson Bascome in response to a story in yesterday's Royal Gazette in which a landlord expressed his anger about a tenant who had refused to pay rent and guarded the door with a vicious dog.

The story said that the landlord, Major Albert Benjamin MBE, had put his property up for rent with the BHC months ago and implied that the tenant was one of its clients.

But Mr. Bascome said Major Benjamin only contacted BHC recently, after the tenant had lived in the house for months.

Mr. Bascome explained that helping landlords with this sort of problem, by shouldering the burden of paying the rent and dealing with the tenant, was the aim of one the BHC's more recent initiatives.

He added: "Unfortunately, that one line in the story undermines everything we are trying to do for landlords with that type of problem.

"In Major Benjamin's case, he called us only a couple of weeks ago and asked us to help him. He did not initially put his house up for rent with the BHC, but did so on his own.

"When he called us, as with every such case,'' he said, "the BHC agreed to become the tenant at the property and they will pay rent, regardless of who is living there.

"I want to make it clear that this matter wasn't the Bermuda Housing Corporation's fault and also that we are doing our very best to make sure these sorts of problems don't happen.'' Yesterday, Major Benjamin confirmed that he was "very grateful'' to BHC for all of their help.

He said: "Yes, in fact the tenant had been in the house for 18 months before I called the Bermuda Housing Corporation.''