Thousands of Tenants Face Eviction Ahead of Section 21 BA

Landlord

Posted in Jan 21 , 2025

Thousands of Tenants Face Eviction Ahead of Section 21 BA

Understanding Section 21 and the ban

Under Section 21 of the Housing Act 1988, landlords in England have the authority to take possession of their property without issuing a reason if they abide by the two-month notice period. However, this rule has been widely criticised for being misused and landlords evicting tenants whenever they desire, thus increasing housing market insecurity.

To tackle this unfair situation, the government revealed the Renter’s Right Bill, which, as per Section 21, has banned the evictions of new and existing tenants, leading to a secure scenario.

What do the Numbers Say?

Renters Reform Coalition, which is a body of 21 organisations that support private renters, have already issued their concerns, saying:

After the government's initial pledge in April 2019 to ban Section 21, landlords have served more than 100,000 households with eviction notices against this provision.
The data suggests that more than 15,000 households living in rent are expected to be evicted within the first 6 months of 2025, a 12% increase from the previous year.

The RRC states that landlords are accelerating this process before the legal rule passes and becomes law. However, this has led to instability in the renters' property market.

Legislation Speed-up Calls

In light of this issue, many housing groups have urged the government to speed up the bill. Lucy Tiller, The Policy Manager for RRC, has also discussed the urgency of this matter. She states that this legislation will take place in the summer of 2025, but we already see the effects. She says, "It is definitely the case that there are a huge number of Section 21 evictions going through at the moment."

The Renters Reform Coalition (RRC) has urged the government to take swift action to prevent the situation from getting out of hand.

Government's Position

The spokesperson of the Ministry of Housing, Communities, and Local Government assured the government of its commitment to this situation and its role in transforming the private rental sector. The government stated, "Our Renters' Rights Bill will deliver on our promise to transform the private rented sector so that people can put down roots and save for the future without fear of being evicted on a whim."

We can also tell you that the government plans to handle the broader crises in the housing sector by working with builders to create more houses. They aim to maximise the affordability of houses for coming generations.

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