New government figures show 79,840 households faced homelessness in England between January and March 2023 – the highest number on record.
Now Shelter is claiming that a major contributing factor to rising homelessness is the instability of private renting, with the loss of a private tenancy now the leading cause. This accounts for 29 per cent of households who are homeless or threatened with homelessness.
The campaigning charity is again claiming that one of the main reasons for this instability is Section 21 evictions, which allow landlords to evict a tenant with two months’ notice, without having to give a reason.
The charity says some 24,060 households were threatened with homelessness as a result of a Section 21 in the last year – up by 21 per cent compared to the previous 12 months.
In May, the government published its Renters (Reform) Bill to ban Section 21 evictions and introduce overdue protections for renters; the Bill is expected to receive its second reading this autumn.
Shelter is urging the government to prioritise the Renters (Reform) Bill as soon as it returns from Summer recess. The charity is also calling on the Secretary of State for Housing, Michael Gove, to make his ambition to build tens of thousands of new homes for social rent a reality, to ease the pressure on private renting and curb homelessness.
Charity chief executive Polly Neate says: “With record numbers of people becoming homeless, the time for empty words on building social homes and overdue promises on ending no fault evictions has long past. No-fault evictions are fuelling homelessness and throwing thousands of families’ lives into turmoil. We need decisive action, not lip service, before this crisis gets even worse.
“When MPs return from their summer break in September, the Renters Reform Bill needs to come back with them, and it must be made law at the earliest opportunity. But to end homelessness for good, we need genuinely affordable homes. The Secretary of State, Michael Gove, agrees social homes are essential to solving the housing emergency, so it's time for his government to get on and build them."
Want to comment on this story? Our focus is on providing a platform for you to share your insights and views and we welcome contributions.
If any post is considered to victimise, harass, degrade or intimidate an individual or group of individuals, then the post may be deleted and the individual immediately banned from posting in future.
Please help us by reporting comments you consider to be unduly offensive so we can review and take action if necessary. Thank you.
.jpg)
%20(002).png)
.png)
Join the conversation
Jump to latest comment and add your reply
I blame Shelter and their helpers for campaigning for the end of S21 (and the rest of the RRB). The White Paper was the reason for me issuing a S21 on a family.
1) I did it whilst I still could.
2) I only rented to these people because of S21 and I could get them out.
3) I only bought my properties because S21 existed after the disastrous period beforehand where I would never get my property back.
You have spoken the truth, and many others have not been doing that.
Shelter's campaigning has played a significant part in the increase in service of Section 21 notices - that is absolutely obvious.
I am surprised there has not yet been an avalanche. I suppose people are waiting to see…. Anyway the RRB won’t go away completely. Even though delayed, and probably be watered down a bit it’s still 100% poison.
I think people are biding their time, too, Nick. The Renters Reform Bill is not a letting model that many landlords will operate under. However, there could be a Labour Government as soon as Spring 2024 and similar extremist policies may be brought in by them. It would be very helpful to tenants and landlords if Labour would state that they will adopt the Welsh Labour rental legislation - that way they would restore some stability to the current situation - and they might well have the Landlords' votes in the next General election. The Tories have destroyed themselves as a political party.
Landlord's with good tenants have little to fear from the RRB. However, if these tenants were to leave I know I would sell.
Andy, Good tenants will be free to turn bad too. Some sensible ones will perhaps not change or improve, knowing if / when you get them out they will find it hard finding somewhere else.
Hi Nick, your absolutely right it is a risk. I completely disagree with what the Government is doing. However, I will not let them change me to where my conscience lies.
Thank Andy. The government won’t change me either. I’m sure there’s a lot of infighting atm in the government of why they have put these communist proposals out.
As the above confirms. It’s up because we’re all off. And they caused it!
Shelter the charity (business) that not only house no one, it unhouses many.
And just how many tenants are evicted by the Social sector? I suspect a lot more than are evicted by private landlords
Very few, that's why you have sink estates people are desperate to flee.
Yep, it’s a known fact that the Social rented sector evicts vastly more tenants and you won’t find Shelter campaigning against them. Biased, communist huggers the lot of them.
Shelter that great social housing provider...
Until then shut up.
You are completely ignorant to the fact that no business wants to lose a paying customer.
Yes there's abuse of section 21, like any other law, but as I said what business wants to lose a PAYING customer? Voids are not something that any landlord wants.
All that they are going to achieve is more homelessness as landlords hand the keys back to the bank when they can not afford to fix the damage caused by drug users and other anti social tenants that would have been booted out.
I've been challenging opponents of S21 as why there is a problem given your point, landlords don't throw out tenants paying on time and looking after their property for no good reason.
After all these challenges they came up with two reasons.... one of which is a problem with an easy solution, the other of which isn't a solveable problem at all.
1) Landlords kick out tenants who complain about defective property. Whilst this is a proportionately small problem, it is a problem that S21 allows.... but there's an easy fix. Legislation for landlords to i) record all defects reported ii) fix all reported significant defects before re-renting iii) make statement that significant defects have been fixed and timeframe when all defects will be fixed. That's it. There would be no point in a landlord kicking out a tenant who complains about defects
2) Tenants being kicked out due to landlord wanting large rent increase. Currently a tenant can challenge a rent increase if it's greater than 5% but if it's inline with the market rentals then S21 is the only way to remove them. This is sometimes undoubtedly harsh, but since we live in a free market, it would be stupid, unfair and self defeating to try to limit rent increases..... not least because it would mean every landlord would then automatically have to apply a 5% increase every year!
That's it. They can't think of any other reason for abolishing S21!
Being threatened with homelessness as a result of a Section 21 and it actually proceeding to eviction are two entirely different things. A great many Section 21 notices will be issued as a warning shot or a method to start a serious conversation. Whether that's relating to rent arrears or low level annoying breach of tenancy behaviour it can be the jolt that's needed.
Proceeding to applying for step two is entirely optional and often unnecessary if the initial S21 notice has had the effect of making the tenancy sustainable. Waving a S21 notice at other creditors often has the effect of getting them to back off for long enough for the rent to be brought up to date. Some Councils will carry out a budgeting session with the tenant and make sure they're claiming everything they can and sometimes come up with a Discretionary Housing Payment to get things back on track.
I've certainly issued a few S21 notices to make tenancies sustainable rather than to get rid of the tenant.
Agreed Jo, I have done the same. Also, when tenants engage and cooperate the end of tenancy can be flexible and assisted. I am sure many section 21 notices never make it to court. I guess this will be fewer now as many tenants have no way to find anything they can afford to move to, especially as councils advise them to stay put until the bailiffs arrive.
Agreed it can serve as a great warning shot, behave, pay your rent or you're out
Ironic that the biggest cause of S21s being issue is the looming loss of S21!
It will be interesting to see if evictions fall after the loss of S21 or whether they just take longer & cost more under S8, driving even more LLs out of the PRS.
😂👍🏻 I know, it’s classic “ Law of unintended consequences “.
I predict the number of evictions will fall drastically after S21 is gone. Why? Because all landlords will be stuck in a very long queue and given low level priority in our broken court system and not many cases will be heard…. 🆘🆘🆘
Yes I think Shelter are now realising this is backfiring big style. They will still try to justify their campaign even to the detriment of the tenant that they claim their funds support. The disgusting sham that is called Shelter
They don't care.
They tely on having more homeless people to keep themselves in their cushy jobs. Hiw else would these pink haired, bodily pierced scruffy nitwits get a proper job?
Shelter, must be very pleased to
be the root cause of increasing numbers of homelessness by pushing for removal of Section 21 the very foundation of all Private Letting before which there wasn’t any.
I don’t expect them to know this as they are not Landlords and don’t supply any housing just Charity Status to sit on the sideline criticising those who do.
Mr Gove I hope you reading those Articles and you being The Housing Secretary in charge
of the worst housing crisis ever created in no small way by you and your lame duck anti-landlords Organisation’s,
100 percent agree Michael.
Just sold our 8th house resulting in yet another decent happy family losing their rental home - we will not remain in the PRS without our right to decide
1, who we rent to;
2, the right to serve a S21;
3, Control over our own property.
Section 21 is not No fault as we (LLs) already know. It is no need to prove fault, which is necessary when photographic evidence is not enough to prove that a tenant has broken their tenancy by destroying the house, because unless they are behind with the rent (by much more than the deposit) a section 8 is discretionary and solicitors paid for on landlord insurance will not proceed unless guaranteed of success.
I won't evict good tenants to sell but as they leave we will sell up the whole portfolio rather than lose the right to get our property back from wayward tenants.
Alas, Shelter (and govt) consistently fail to recognise the simple difference between CAUSE and EFFECT. The cause is failure to pay rent/ASB/landlord needing to sell due to govt meddling etc. The effect is S21 or S8 and the landlord proceeding to evict the tenant.
Life is full of CAUSE and EFFECTS, Polly. You really are very thick if you can't work out the difference.
After the NatWest debacle over Nigel Farage, the Treasury has summoned 19 bank CEO 'S to tell them to stop being political and stick to banking.
Will this extend to ordering Nationwide to stop threatening members that they will give further donations to Shelter if they dare to vote in their AGM?
All Nationwide members should complain about this threat to an open and free election process to the Nationwide CEO and the Electoral Commission who oversees such election processes.
Incidentally six figure Polly Neate looked very rattled and not nearly so smug when interviewed on TV last night.
Robert, What channel to find the rattled Polly Neat please?
@Frances - ITV News at 10. You'll probably find it on ITVX
Hi Robert,
I received my voting pack for the Nationwide AGM and voted everyone of them down and voted to throw out their renumeration package.
Peter
That's what they deserve for trying to dissuade you from voting.
I'm going to complain that such votes should never have any forms of incentive or disincentive given to encourage or discourage voters from voting or abstaining in such elections. Voters were not given the option to opt out of such donations being made to a business (yes, Shelter is a business) whose main aim is to harm our business.
Yes I thought Polly looked rattled, maybe her pay has been cut
as if! - if only!
Where was the interview? I'd like to catch it :)
@Nick - ITV News at 10. You'll probably find it on ITVX
Thanks Grumpy.
Darren, most defects with the property are caused by the Tenants themselves.
I have never let out the Property with such defects if I had the opportunity to have things right prior to letting which is now being removed with Permanent Tenants in Place. Most Defects were caused by legislation / 2015 De-Regulation Act encouraging Tenants to damage the Property to avoid eviction Shelter will know this they caused it when they failed Sarah Tethers Private members Bill.
Last week I had to repair a Ceiling in room under bathroom due to misuse. They kept complaining about a non existent leak. I had to fix ceiling, bond & skim because it was that type. Low & behold they said the leak is back so I went there again and a guy comes out of bathroom just after having a Shower with curtain hanging outside the bath.
I agree in most cases it's the tenant that causes these problems, void periods are great for sorting properties out, mine are always in good condition when new tenants move in, other wise why would the new tenant take on the property?
Thousands more every week are joining the housing queues at Council Offices.
It’s becoming a daily news event on mainstream TV.
Whatever is said PRS LLs are selling up in there thousands and they are in the most part going to private buyers not Landlords..
Simply meaning a massive under supply of rental properties and those that are becoming available are at very high rents and sometimes 20 or more families are wanting the same property. This leads to people competing to pay over the rental asking price just to secure a roof over there head.
This is the Governments and Councils making, with all the Bureaucracy and Tax Grabbing that they have been doing and continue to do.
They have ruined the rental market that was ticking along nicely a few years back.
It’s us the PRS LLs that have bailed the Gov and Councils out because they don’t have properties and they will never be able to keep up with the ever increasing demand.
Time to
Sell Up
Feet Up
Money in High Interest Account(s)
A Large Glass of Falling Down Water.
Bye Bye BTL.
It was good whilst it lasted.
As I commented elsewhere when responding to another comment re the relatively healthy situation in the PRS pre Osborne :
"Funny enough, you've just described the PRS pre-2015! You're have thought that the muppets in charge would say "hey, this works really well, let's just leave it alone and not try to fix it". But no, they took a well oiled machine and poured sand into the sump and sugar into the fuel. Well done Osborne, Hammond, Gove and all those morons in the lefty socialist civil service who just couldn't keep their sticky fingers off the PRS.
The trouble is that the corrective actions now required are far greater than the destructive actions to date. Let me explain. A house purchased 20 years ago for £150k is now worth £400k for example. The original landlord has sold up in disgust, paid his CGT, and has put his feet up with his popcorn watching similar events taking place everywhere with the inevitable results that we see everywhere (short supply, sky high rents). Govt eventually see the error of their ways and reverse all the damaging legislation (see Ireland) in order to tempt back landlords. Question: is that landlord and many like him going to come out of their enforced early retirement, pay £400k for their old £150k houses, and start the whole grind again? Nope! Will a new generation of landlords have the funds to do likewise? Nope! Will the govt's corporate mates ride to the rescue? Maybe .... but not quickly enough (they only have 5% of the market at the moment) and they won't be cheap. Whoooops"
You mention the Irish reversal of their rental legislation, I have just been talking to an agent who said that the Scottish housing situation is a disaster with landlords pulling out in large numbers and local authorities having insufficient funding to cope.
It's one big shower now....
Ellie
The guy on the front line, along with all Scottish landlords like me, must be mistaken as the UK Housing Minister, with no responsibility for Scottish housing and no close relationship with the Scottish "government" assures that the Scottish private rental sector is just fine.
After all, why would any business owners want to pull out of a business where 27 potential customers want every single one of his products and many will offer above market prices to obtain it.
It's hard to believe that any other factors could overcome such a potentially dream business model - but that's exactly what is happening up here thanks to Patrick Harvnie-aclue and Humza Useless !
Well put Robert!
The argument that the Scottish rental sector is just fine after the abolition of Section 21 is no longer in the least convincing.
Just been speaking with my mortgage broker and she said just sit tight on the variable you are on until the end of the year. No point changing when rates will end up coming down. Also she made a very valid comment that a lot of the people in the financial houses are putting pressure on the government with regards to the RRB (Exclude Nationwide and Co Op), lacking clarity or direction and all appearing to be one way.
Can see the point in that as they will lose loads of mortgages from their books and a very profitable revenue stream.
I only have one which is up for renewal and the others a few years away so not an issue for one property.
Shelter have started this instability by creating a sh*tstorm leading to landlords panicking, cannot wait to see Polly Put The Kettle On They're All On the Street..
It's about time some heavyweights moved in to say how bad the RRB is. Beadle's About doesn't help us. He just "welcomes" more s***.
Well I hope that they will be convincing, I'm about to start work on one property in order to get it ready to sell. Just waiting the last few weeks whilst the possession order and bailiffs come into force.
Once this one is sold will be onto the next.
I am hoping that the proceeds from these 2 properties will be enough to sort me out. If not 2 more go on the market.
I had a good business here but Section 24 has brought me down. Shame on this Government. I consider myself fortunate in that I've been in this industry a long time and as such have plenty of equity. Landlord's whom came after me will not be so fortunate if they are mortgaged.
At the end of the day it will be tenants that suffer the most.
These idiotic clowns at Shelter have no grasp of cause and effect.
They're causing more homeless by pushing for the abolishing of Section 21, not the other way around.
Disingenuous, ignorant marxist halfwits in a constant state of bitter envy.
They certainly cause shortage of housing I was going to build a 3 storey Town house onto a property I own but refused permission 3 times lost to appeal as well and returned a 5th time under Section, 70a because each Application has to be significantly different to the one refused, although the first one was Brilliant and they hadn’t a clue.
However they did give Permission to build 2 No 3 Storey Town houses in the side garden next door in less space to another Builder.
That was 25 years ago and cost me thousands even the light calculations cost me £5k that was away above Councils heads. I now thank them for refusing me, if I had got permission I would have Built them work like a Donkey and finance the Build, they saved me all that work and they are the big losers. Imagine 3 Storey Town House in prime location in London rented for 25 years and me a 40% tax payer so that must be about £200k lost to revenue + all the C/tax for 25 years and a shortage of housing.
I am delighted that they prevented me from doing it only now to Confiscated from me by Mr Gove to install someone for life that had no input, wonderful.
Hard work doesn't pay in the UK. All these politicians aren't worth anything. A load of jobsworths making up rules to however they can stay / get in to power.
We work hard to better ourselves, but of course that mustn't happen because we might end up with more than they have
Some great points Michael and also bang on point Nick.
Problem is nowadays all the students want to be researchers and never do a days graft. Then if they kiss enough a*s they get to be put forward in a safe seat. Gravy train if they keep quiet and don’t upset anyone.
What happened to the great and the good who made things, built industry, raised money and earned money? They are what we want in politics, real people…!
Peter, a lot want to work in IT and software. Also being an 'influencer' on Tiktok, Instagram and Facebook. Not doing a lot..... People don't want to work...
I have to agree with Shelter removing Section 21 increases the homeless, how did they know that, Oh they caused it.
Correct Michael,
Do you know something all the landlords I come across are quite relaxed about most things like the odd rent payment missing, bit of pipe drama, window smashed, door lock not working etc..
But this lot have seriously damaged the industry which to be fair removed a lot of people from social housing and reduced the burden on the state. Now it has caused a real problem to the state, if they had consulted landlords in a fair manner I am sure WE ALL could have found a way forward.
Shelter, Acorn, Generation and NRLA (Yes Beadles About) too have all got their own agendas and not those of the greater community.
You see I can be nice sometimes… 😊 (for you Sandra and Gibbo) x
Help!
Peter S has been kidnapped and forced to post some leftie type warm fuzzy nonsense about loving tenants, adoring their pets and kids and apologising for disturbing their leisure hours whilst installing brand new furniture and fittings etc.
Peter. You need an urgent antidote. Switch on GB News NOW before you become irredeemably mellow and cuddly for ever!
Robert, don’t worry I am watching Farage as we speak shoving it up the leftie woke types.
I am only watching this as the complete and utter scandal he has had to put up with gives me hope.
Would not surprise me
If he’s in the House of Lords and a special advisor soon 🙄
Who would have thought
That twenty years ago 😂
Good old Nigel!
I once had a bank tell me they no longer wanted me to be one of their major bankers.
What they meant was they wanted me to reduce or repay my overdraft!
Robert, similar happened to me a few years ago. Bought a house 🏠 high interest rate and the bank had a problem as I was hovering around being in trouble.
Did not want any help as I knew I would be ok just a little kink in the journey, explained I need about six months and all would be good. Refused so I carried on, sold the house and made an absolute fortune. Bought three other houses 🏘️ with a positive cash flow and the same bank then wanted to offer me the world and everything that goes with it.
I will only use banks now for my benefit and not theirs, most of my money is now outside of the UK 🇬🇧 as I do not trust them, Farage scandal is just one example…
Peter
Similar experiences for me.
I now chase after every switching bonus that I can claim just to get a bit of the thousands of pounds they have made out of me over the years.
My next target is £200 from Ulster Bank which I am about to go for even although I have made the same bonuses from both RBS and NatWest.
I also have a long term interest free credit card from NatWest which gave me £10,000 interest free to invest at around 5.5 to 6.17% apr, much of it being paid by the NatWest group.
I have a similar tale with Lloyds Banking Group and their Halifax and Bank of Scotland subsidiaries and with HSBC and First Direct.
Revenge is a dish best served cold!
Our experience of evicting problem tenants for landlords via Sec 21, is when a Tenant complains of a defect, its usually so minor and without merit, that Environmental health do Not serve an Improvement Notice so Retaliatory Eviction defence is not engaged.
This ' theory ' by tenant campaigners to stop 'unmerited' evictions hasn't worked, hence their continued campaign to abolish Sec 21 completely.
Please login to comment