Landlords are moving fast to force out tenants as the government’s ban on Section 21 evictions looms, campaigners have warned, with government figures revealing a spike in evictions by bailiffs.
Labour has pledged to abolish Section 21 evictions, with the ban expected to be implemented by next summer.
And Ministry of Justice figures showed that, between July and September, 8,425 households in England were served with Section 21 notices – an eight year high.
The figure marked an increase on the corresponding period a year earlier and came as 2,830 households were evicted by bailiffs, a 23% hike on last year.
Crisis argued that the latest data “show the horrifying truth that tenants are still being evicted from their homes and left to face the nightmare of housing insecurity and homelessness”.
Chief executive Matt Downie wants the bill moving through parliament to become law “as quickly as possible”.
“No-fault evictions are one of the leading causes of homelessness. We need urgent action and stricter measures to protect people at risk of homelessness now and in the future,” he added.
Polly Neate, chief executive of Shelter, commented: “With renters being marched out of their homes in their thousands, passing the Renters’ Rights Bill and closing the book on the gross injustice of no fault evictions can’t come soon enough.”
The Renters Reform Coalition’s Lucy Tiller added: “Being forced to leave your home through no fault of your own is a disruptive and expensive experience that pushes many renters into hardship and even homelessness.”
Ben Beadle, chief executive of the National Residential Landlords Association, responded to claims made by the housing charities.
He said: “Over the last year the number of possession claims brought using a Section 21 notice has fallen across England and Wales.
“With data from Rightmove pointing to record numbers of rental properties up for sale, the best way to help tenants is to encourage responsible landlords to stay in the market.”
