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Labour has echoed campaign groups Generation Rent and Shelter in calling for the speediest possible ending of Section 21 eviction powers, as pledged by the Conservatives in the 2019 General Election.
It is thought that the scrapping of that provision of the 1988 Housing Act may be included in the White Paper on rental reform, expected from the government this autumn but now known to be delayed further until 2022.
Sem Moema, Labour’s London Assembly housing spokesperson, has written to Housing Secretary Michael Gove to demand a timetable.
She says: “No fault evictions not only unjustly uproot the lives of too many families and individuals, but add to the insurmountable pressures already being placed upon councils.
“The government’s inertia over implementing its reforms to the private rented sector and outlawing these evictions has been shameful and this has had a direct impact on thousands of Londoners.”
Figures produced by pressure groups and data from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and the Communities suggest that between April 2019 and June 2021, 5,770 London households were served with a Section 21 eviction notice.
It is also reported that between April 2019 and March 2021, councils across the country stepped in to support 91,710 private tenants who were facing eviction.
Campaigners and opposition politicians have increased their criticism of what they see as unnecessary delays in the carrying out of the Conservative S21 commitment.
Lloyd Russell-Moyle - chair of the All-party Parliamentary Group on Renters and Rental Reform, and a shadow minister under former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn - has tweeted that the country “needs legislation urgently” on the issue.
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Come on? When has it ever been no fault? It’s been said on hear so many times. We are a business letting property. How many landlords would wish to remove good paying tenants? More showboating by the would be saints of society.
If S21 is removed provision MUST be made ensure that LLs can get though the courts quickly to evict rogue tenants who run up huge debts living rent free. The court process at the moment is hugely biased towards the tenants who manipulate the system and postpone the inevitable but get free housing for lengthy periods while the LLs run up further costs with little hope of ever seeing a penny come back. Failure to address the court process WILL result in LLs leaving the PRS.
As Adrian says, it is not No Fault - just the quickest & easiest option to evict a tenant who is not behaving in a tenant like fashion.
No risk taking now with new tenants, no DSS, no single mums, no one under 25, and if it doesn't feel right no tenancy, better an empty property than one with a rouge tenant sitting in it not paying the rent
As I have said many times before, by protecting rogue tenants, all these loony lefties are simply hurting decent tenants by delaying their opportunities to get into homes which rent dodgers are allowed to remain in rent free and may well trash just before the bailiffs eventually arrive.
All claimants of UC etc. should have the Council etc. acting as guarantor, with all arrears, damages etc. paid for and then deducted from future benefits or earnings.
All these demands that protect the non-paying tenants just create a higher bar for decent tenants to reach, before a tenancy is agreed. Crazy! We Private Sector Landlords need a ‘Tenant Register’ urgently. We can then give positive scores for good tenants and of course low ones where there have been problems.
Phew......Quite right but we need it, and the number of bad tenants will be enormous, but must happen.
Could Section 21 have the employment law timescale applied? I.E. In the first 2 years of residence, a section 21 can be sought as normal, but after 2 years of residence, the tenants/s gain additional rights/protections, in that, the section 21 must have justified/proper reasoning and can't be 'no-fault'.
Problem with this idea is every landlord will automatically serve notice after 2 years.
I do like the thinking outside the box though...Maybe way forward could be greater incentives for landlords in offering longer fixed term leases. Perhaps tax relief for 5 year tenant only break clause Tenancies? Whatever the way forward, as mooted in the above comments, bad Tenants cannot be allowed to get away with blue murder and hold landlords to ransom.
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