Scrapping Section 21 - Mismanaged from start to finish

The government has been accused of mismanaging reforms to no-fault evictions saying: “It’s created uncertainty upon uncertainty”.

Theresa May first made the pledge to scrap Section 21 (S21) notices on 15 April 2019 and it was also in her successor Boris Johnson's manifesto.

But last month, the government announced an indefinite delay to the plan to ban them, pending court reforms.

A Section 21 order allows landlords to evict tenants with just two months' notice, without providing a reason for doing so.

Housing campaigners say they are a major contributing factor to rising homelessness.

But many property experts in the sector claim it will lead to an exodus of landlords, at a time many are already leaving in droves.  Property expert Jonathan Rolande, founder of House Buy Fast says: “The entire process has been mismanaged – it has taken too long. It has created uncertainty upon uncertainty. 

“Of the thousands of landlords I have dealt with over the years, only a tiny fraction would not pass the “would I want you to be my landlord?” test.

“Landlords are not charities but almost without exception, those I have dealt with have wanted to obey safety and contractual legislation, are sympathetic to tenants' financial issues, and while no doubt complaining about the cost, keep their properties in good repair.

“When the government talks of a Section 21 ban what do landlords hear?  They hear that they will not be able to get their property back when they want it. They conflate the issue with rent control, which is also mentioned in the news in London and Scotland. " Could it happen here, too?” they ask. Three quarters of individual landlords are over 55 – the spectre of Rent Control and Sitting Tenants is real.

“So landlords have been leaving the sector, cashing in at these high prices to beat the ban. Ironically, as a property is worth more empty, many tenants who might otherwise have been secure have been turfed out prior to sale.

“And since recent rate rises, nobody has replaced these fleeing landlords. The homes have disappeared from the rental market, pushing up competition between tenants and therefore, rents. 

“Many people on all sides of politics, who should know better, have accepted that the ban is a good idea.  

“It seems inevitable that it will come to pass, possibly soon. That is my hope at least, because during this time of uncertainty, whilst the government squirm in an effort to placate all sides, tenants are losing their homes for absolutely no good reason.”

* Jonathan Rolande is founder of House Buy Fast *

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