It was revealed today that a possible new law to end unfair evictions will not be debated by parliament before Autumn. This means that thousands of renters will be packing their bags this summer, not to go on their holidays, but because they are being evicted.
Further delay to the Renters (Reform) Bill’s progress in parliament will mean unfair evictions continue despite government promises to outlaw them. Since the government’s 2019 promise to end Section 21 no fault evictions, nearly 61,000 no fault eviction court proceedings have been started by landlords, turfing tens of thousands of families out of their homes with no need to give a reason.
On our current estimates, there will be one Section 21 claim made every 15 minutes over the six-week summer holiday, meaning potentially 3,787 unfair evictions before children go back to school and parliament reconvenes. If a Section 21 notice is valid, tenants have no ability to challenge it, so many more move out before their case reaches court.
There could be as many as 90 Section 21 eviction notices issued every day over the summer holidays.
We are calling on the government to act now to schedule the Renters (Reform) Bill’s Second Reading debate as soon as possible when parliament next sits and to make sure that renters can stay in their homes with their rights fully protected. They argue that no more summers should be ruined by unfair evictions. Despite promising four years ago to outlaw arbitrary evictions, the government has failed to table the second reading of the Renters (Reform) Bill.
Recent soaring rises in rents on new tenancies mean that many families will no longer be able to afford to rent near their children’s schools if they are evicted.
Delays in parliament are leading to despair across the country. Urgent action is needed to end unfair evictions and Generation Rent will keep not stop campaigning until renters are protected.
If you haven’t already make sure to email your MP to back the Renters (Reform) Bill and encourage the government to bring it forward as soon as possible.
