Coronavirus has hit the incomes of millions of renters who are now worried about how to pay the rent. Now the eviction ban has ended, renters in arrears face debt and homelessness.
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Section 21 evictions forever hang over me - Anna's StoryJan 06, 2021Generation Rent supporter Anna tells her story of renting while Section 21 'no fault' evictions continue.
I have been renting my studio flat for about two and a half years. I received my first Section 21 ‘no fault’ eviction notice in the summer of 2019, but it turned out to be invalid because the property lacked a mandatory license.
I received my second Section 21 notice in the middle of March last year, shortly before the UK went into lockdown. For me, the timing of this turned out to be fortuitous, because the accompanying eviction ban meant that my landlady didn’t have a chance to apply to the courts before the expiration of the notice. Despite the difficulties and reduced work hours that the series of lockdowns have caused me, the relative housing security the government afforded renters has been the silver lining.
Government research finds half a million private renters strugglingDec 17, 2020Last month we estimated that 538,000 private renter households had a shortfall between their Local Housing Allowance and the rent they owed.
Now the government's own survey has backed that up - it found 569,000 private renter households were behind on rent or at risk of arrears this summer.
The Ministry of Housing's Household Resilience Study, published today, has revealed the extent of the government's failings in supporting private renters through the pandemic.
What the NRLA has to say about mouldDec 14, 2020It is winter, so, like clockwork, mould is sprouting on renters' walls and, in response, letting agents are dishing out spurious advice like this:
Our letting agent sent us this letter, to remind us that “lifestyle activities” such as “breathing” may be the cause of condensation in our home. 🙃🙃🙃 pic.twitter.com/U0zgSCbGGY
— Lucy Mort (@Lucyhbmort) November 17, 2020More responsible landlords will look to their professional bodies for guidance to improve their tenants' living conditions. The National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) are sharing this factsheet with its members to pass on to renters who are complaining about condensation, damp and mould.
We decided to take a look - and found that it is unfortunately little better than the cowboys' efforts.