The levelling up secretary, Michael Gove, has announced a delay in the introduction of the ban on “no fault” evictions.
The ban, part of the Renters Reform Bill, will not be enacted until improvements in the legal system take place.
Gove made this clear to Conservative MPs who have voiced concerns about the bill’s impact.
The ban was first suggested by former Prime Minister Theresa May in April 2019. It aims to stop landlords from evicting tenants without a valid reason.
The introduction of a specialist Housing Court was mooted as a way of improving processes but the Government has moved to rule out such a move.
The Government said: “We do not agree that introducing a Housing Court is the best way to improve the court process for possession.
“We consulted on this point and this view was shared by the Ministry of Justice and members of the Judiciary who responded to our call for evidence. The cost of introducing a new Housing Court would outweigh the benefits.
“A new court would not address the primary concerns raised by users about improved advice and guidance, the complexity and a lack of understanding of the process by users, as well as delays.
“Improving enforcement of possession orders or improving guidance and signposting to legal advice can best be achieved instead by focusing on improving existing processes, rather than by introducing a specialist court.
“We have learnt from the experiences of tenancy reform implementation in Wales and Scotland. We will implement the abolition of Section 21 over sufficient time for the courts and the sector to adapt to system changes.”
