The number of Section 21 ‘no-fault’ evictions has increased by nearly 50% since before the pandemic, when the Government first made its promise to abolish no-fault evictions, according to new Government figures released today.
Department for Levelling Up, Housing, and Communities data released today shows the number of people assessed as owed homelessness support due to a Section 21 eviction was 6,580 in the most recent quarter (Q3 2023), an increase of 44% on the same quarter in 2019 before the pandemic, when Theresa May’s Government first promised to end the practice.
This brings the total claiming homeless support due to Section 21 evictions since that commitment was made to 84,460.
The end of a private tenancy remains a leading cause of homelessness – the statistics found 25% of eligible claims for homelessness support were due to the end of an Assured Shorthold (private rented) Tenancy.
The development comes as a cross-party group of over a hundred council leaders in England have thrown their weight behind an amendment to the Renters (Reform) Bill to increase notice periods for private tenants being evicted.
The Renters (Reform) Bill continues to be delayed, with BBC News revealing yesterday that the government is considering concessions to water down the legislation pro-landlord backbenchers.
By contrast, a letter to Secretary of State for Housing Michael Gove, 103 council leaders, including of Conservative councils such as North Yorkshire which contains the Prime Minister’s constituency, demanded the stalled legislation be strengthened which they claimed, “will help to reduce the number of people claiming homelessness duties because of the end of a private rented sector tenancy.”
The intervention follows warnings from local government figures that the rising cost of homelessness, which councils bear through a duty to provide temporary accommodation, is leading local authorities to effective bankruptcy and could spell “the end of local government”.
In 2023/24 councils in England are expected to spend £2bn on temporary accommodation.
The Council Leaders’ letter, coordinated by the Renters’ Reform Coalition, calls on the Housing Secretary to “consider amending the legislation so that tenants have four months’ notice if they are being evicted through no fault of their own in the new tenancy regime.” The amendment also has the support of the Local Government Association.
The Renters (Reform) Bill abolishes Section 21 ‘no-fault’ evictions, but landlords will still be able to evict tenants by providing an approved reason, such as for family to move in or to sell the property.
In these instances the Bill retains the two-month notice period which many renters currently struggle with – research by Shelter found that over a third of tenants take longer than this to find a new home.
By extending this to four months, councils say renters will have “more security and time to find a new home which suits their needs”, which will “reduce the number of people claiming homelessness support following the end of a private tenancy, lessening the impact of evictions on local government finances.”
Tom Darling, campaign manager at the Renters’ Reform Coalition, said: “Today’s statistics reveal that since the government has committed to end no fault evictions, almost 90,000 people have claimed statutory homelessness support after receiving a Section 21, and that the rate of eviction is much higher than we have ever seen it in the data.
“We have coordinated a letter with over 100 council leaders in England demanding greater protections for renters to help tackle the homelessness crisis, which is bringing councils to the point of bankruptcy.
“It seems basically everyone is calling for a stronger Renters Reform Bill – except the Government’s landlord backbenchers, and yet, outrageously, it seems they are the ones being listened to. We will continue pushing for a piece of legislation that will actually start to improve our housing system.”
