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TODAY'S OTHER NEWS

NLA dismisses government’s claim that Section 21 is driving up homelessness

The National Landlords Association (NLA) has rejected the government’s claim that landlords’ use of Section 21 eviction notices is the leading cause of homelessness in the UK.

Referring to data provided by the government that of 33,020 households assessed by local authorities between October and December 2018, the NLA points out that just 11.8% (3,890) of those faced homelessness as a result of being served with a Section 21 notice.

The same figures also showed that the number one reason for losing the last settled home was because family or friends were no longer willing or able to accommodate them, which accounted for over 15,000 households.

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The second most prominent reason was the end of an AST. This includes tenancies ended using the fault-based Section 8 and tenants abandoning the property, as well as Section 21. Some 29% of these tenancies were ended due to rent arrears.

Richard Lambert, CEO of the NLA, commented: “Claims by the government and tenant support groups that Section 21 is the leading cause of homelessness are not supported by the available evidence.

“They are factually incorrect, misleading and just plain wrong. No reasonable landlord would seek to evict a tenant without good cause.

“Most evictions are a symptom of wider issues, such as the freeze on local housing allowance, insecure jobs, and the lack of support for vulnerable tenants to sustain private tenancies successfully.

“The increase in the use of no-fault evictions through Section 21 is because landlords simply don’t have faith in the courts being able to deal with eviction cases, however justified their reason.

“That’s why we’re appealing directly to the prime minister to save section 21. Landlords are running businesses and have very few options when it comes to managing the risks they face. The focus should instead be on fixing the issues that contribute to this risk.” 

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  • James B

    Correct .. but as a generation rent vote winner it’s a no brainier for the government with a bit of propaganda from shelter and BBC to underpin it
    Keep in mind we are dealing with self serving politicians who are just protecting their own jobs

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    But will they win votes? GR in the main will always be left wing.

     
    G romit

    ....but they will lose the Landlord vote.

     
    James B

    I think the landlord vote can be sacrificed if we are outnumbered 10-1

     
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    It takes me over three months usually to get a new tenant in place, so I would NEVER evict anyone who was paying the rent on time and abiding by the terms of his or her lease, this would be 'financial suicide' for me.

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    The only tenants that I have ever evicted are the non payers, why would a landlord evict a good tenant who pays their rent on time.

     
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    Section 21 is contributing to making Housing available to millions of people, whereby if it’s not there we cannot accept them for sure. Taking away what’s left of Section 21 will create more Homelessness for definite but that don’t matter to Rogue Regulators they won’t be homeless.

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    Landlords would only contribute to homelessness if they deliberately kept their properties unoccupied, which is the direct opposite of what we want to do. We therefore contribute to reducing homelessness, unlike Shelter, BBC, politicians etc. However GR won't understand the simplicity of such logic.

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    Well this is now beyond a joke. The Govt blaming landlords for homelessness!!! Where are all the council houses? All the people on the council house waiting lists around the country and if it wasn't for the private rental sector there would be many more on those lists. But of course those demon landlords are refusing to let tenants stay in their properties if they don't pay their rents, how dare they evict tenants, why don't landlords just continue paying their mortgages, continue maintaining their properties, let the tenants stay for free. Well I for one have had enough, I've had tenants for 20 years, I believe I've treated my tenants very fairly, luckily I've never had to resort to Section 21, though there have been a couple of occasions when the tenants left with rent arrears by mutual agreement. But if the Govt takes away the safety net of Section 21 then there is no point in being a landlord because the risks are too great - tenant runs up rent arrears, you go to court to get them out, that takes months and all the time you still have your expenses to pay. I am sick and tired of the Govt's attitude of penalising landlords who are their taking up the slack because of stupid the stupid Govt policy of selling off council houses cheap and then not building any to replace them.

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    Very well said Karen.

     
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    I will evict anyone caught doing drugs being anti social not paying rent Without a Sec 21. Simple rules keep to them and i will be your best LL break my rules and i will be your worse LL.....Simples

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    Had a long chat with my solicitor yesterday. He advocates Section 8 on mandatory grounds now. If every non paying tenant was made to pay arrears then this business would clean up overnight. It would be a viable business opp. It would become more competitive. Tenants would have more choice than ever before.
    My policy now is to hound all non paying tenants for arrears so that they never get any peace. Social media is very effective. A letter to all letting agents in the area with a copy to the tenants new address is satisfying

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    Good to see that Richard Lambert, CEO of the National Landlords Association, has not accepted the abolition of Section 21, and is fighting to retain it. Well done Richard!

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