A charity claims that landlords across England and Wales are seeking to evict tenants using Section 21 powers at a higher rate now than before the pandemic.

Homelessness charity Crisis says government figures for January to March 2023 show evictions and repossessions are 52 per cent higher than the equivalent quarter before the pandemic, and 22 per cent higher now than at this time last year. 

The figures – published by the Ministry of Justice – also show that the number of people who have been forced from their home by bailiffs because of a Section 21 has risen by 18 per cent in the first calendar quarter, from 2,075 to 2,449.

In addition, Crisis claims that other forms of eviction from the private rented sector are at record levels. 

There were 7,269 eviction claims from private sector landlords not using a section 21 eviction notice, a 16 per cent rise on the previous quarter and the highest number since this data series began in 2009.

Crisis says it’s now urging the government to ensure its controversial Renters Reform Bill “delivers on its promise to make a fairer, safer system for renters so that no one is forced from their home with nowhere to go.”

A spokesperson for the charity adds: “No one should be forced from their home or live in fear that an eviction notice will come through their door at any moment, but these figures show that this is a rapidly escalating reality for thousands of renters.

“What these statistics don’t show is the anxiety and worry that comes with trying to find another home after an eviction notice in one of the most difficult housing markets we’ve ever known. They can’t show the pressure placed on people who are left with no choice but to live with mould and damp because the only alternative is no home at all.

“Introducing the Renters Reform Bill is a welcome step from Government. Now we need to get on with making sure Parliament not only passes the Bill as quickly as possible but ensures it is strong enough to deliver on its commitment to give tenants the security and stability they desperately need.”

Shelter has taken a similar approach, using possession figures to hammer home its message against landlords evicting tenants.

It says that if it is executed as intended the Renters Reform Bill will “dramatically improve security and reduce homelessness” but it insists there are loopholes that need to be tightened. 

Polly Neate, chief executive of Shelter, says: “The Bill is a breakthrough in the battle to make renting fairer, safer, and more secure. By the end of the year, we hope laws will be in place to prevent any more tenants from being kicked out of their homes for no reason. 

“Private renters have been waiting a long time to see unfair no-fault evictions abolished. Since the government first promised to do this in 2019, 61,000 households have had to face the courts and endure the fear, the panic, and the threat of homelessness that Section 21 evictions cause.  

“But for the Renters (Reform) Bill to work, loopholes cannot be created for unfair evictions to carry on via the backdoor. The government must ensure when landlords do seek to take their property back that they provide sufficient proof their intentions are legitimate, notice periods are long enough to protect tenants from homelessness, and there are big penalties for misuse.”