The government has been warned by a charity not to weaken its commitment to scrapping Section 21 by allowing ‘backdoor evictions’ at the same time.

“We welcome the new government’s commitment to ending Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions, but reforms to grounds for possession need to have security of tenure at their heart, avoiding loopholes that could lead to backdoor evictions” claims Richard Lane, chief client officer of charity StepChange. 

He makes his remarks in a response to new Rightmove figures which show that asking rents have hit a new record outside of London, standing at an average of £1,314, up 7% on last year.

Lane continues: “These figures show that the private rented sector is not working as it should for millions of tenants. We need the new government to act quickly to bring in reforms that strengthen protections for those who are struggling. 

“It was encouraging to see a new Renters’ Rights Bill introduced in last week’s King’s Speech, as the majority of people we see seeking help with problem debt live in the private rental sector, so it’s a sector that desperately needs reform.

“Our research shows that many tenants’ financial situations are becoming increasingly precarious – one in three (31%) private renters has used credit to afford their rent in the past year, while one in two (50%) private renters is finding it difficult to keep up with bills and credit commitments. 

“To protect renters from eviction when they fall on hard times, we need to ensure that financial difficulties don’t leave tenants at risk of losing their homes.”