0:01 AM, 30th July 2025, About 4 months ago 19
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A councillor claims Section 21 evictions are a leading cause of homelessness but warns legislative pressures are pushing landlords out of the market.
A report by Buckinghamshire council reveals the abolition of Section 21 will lead to a rise in evictions and a drop in rental supply.
However, one councillor claims the report is “too heavily focused on landlords” and fails to mention the impact on tenants.
The council’s Growth, Infrastructure & Housing Select Committee saw Councillor Mark Winn present the housing strategy 2024-29 report.
The report says landlords are under increasing pressure due to legislative changes.
The report says: “Proposed and emerging national legislative changes may put further demands onto the Housing and Environmental Health services.
“This includes the Renters’ Rights Bill and accompanying additional housing enforcement responsibilities and changes to Section 21 notices for landlords which is likely to increase the number of evictions and/or reduce the availability of rental properties.”
Councillor Winn claims that Section 21 evictions are driving homelessness in Buckinghamshire but warns that increasing legislative pressure is forcing landlords to leave the market.
Under the Renters’ Rights Bill, the abolition of Section 21 will take effect immediately once the Bill is passed.
Mr Winn said: “Our current top reason for homelessness is landlords giving notice or evicting residents from a private tenancy, often through Section 21s.
“As they are outlawed, more of this is happening, but there are a lot of landlords that are under pressure and are leaving the market.”
Cllr Winn says a landlord exodus is happening nationally across the country, not just in Buckinghamshire and says the impact of this will lead to a drop in supply.
He said: “This leads to and reduces the number of local landlords in the area and this puts pressure on finding private rented housing solutions.”
Labour Councillor Hazel Arthur Hewitt claims the council’s report “focuses too heavily on landlords.”
She told the council meeting: “My problem is the report focuses too heavily on landlords as a result of stresses due to government legislation and Section 21.
“That to me is the issue, as we are not seeing that tenants need to have better rights and feel secure, and there’s an element of trying to appease landlords so there is enough housing.
“It worries me that this report suggests that policy coming in to protect tenants is a worrisome thing for landlords. I don’t think that’s necessarily a fair picture to put in that report without a bigger picture.”
Cllr Winn hit back: “There is undoubtedly a lot of legislation that’s coming forward that is affecting landlords and they do play a role, whether people think all landlords are rogue or not, there are some good landlords out there.
“There is a strain on landlords, but they do need to keep to legislation by keeping their properties up to a good standard”
Cllr Winn adds the council wants to work with good landlords and says the report is not making a comment on legislation but rather showing landlords are leaving.
He says: “We can’t dispute it, there are landlords leaving the market, the report is just showing what the market conditions are.”
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Cider Drinker
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Member Since December 2023 - Comments: 1514
8:56 AM, 30th July 2025, About 4 months ago
Saying that Section 21 is the leading cause of homelessness is clearly inaccurate.
The leading cause of homelessness is over-population.
If Section 21 has a role to play (and it may have a MINOR role), they should look for the leading cause behind landlords issuing Section 21 Notices.
They’ll find that the government is the leading cause of Section 21.
They’ll also find that, once Section 21 is abolished, the government will be the leading cause of Section 8 Notices being issued to good tenants.
Jo Westlake
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Member Since June 2015 - Comments: 289
9:44 AM, 30th July 2025, About 4 months ago
The abolition of Section 21 will cause some landlords to sell up.
I have been a landlord since 1998 and have never evicted anyone. However, it was nice to know I could if necessary.
I don’t plan to evict anyone right now but the likelihood of me reletting any of my self contained units if anyone moves out is extremely slim. Should those existing tenants move out or die those properties will be sold.
HMOs are a different matter. I’ve owned most of them longer and the CGT is eye watering.
It’s a really sad end to a career I’ve always enjoyed. Many of my tenants are at the more financially unstable end of the spectrum. Some come via Council schemes. At least 25% failed referencing. I left home at 16 and a landlord gave me a chance, so I have tended to do the same. So far no one has let me down. Without Section 21 it just seems too big a risk (even though I have never needed to evict anyone).
John Nyari
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Member Since September 2023 - Comments: 10
9:54 AM, 30th July 2025, About 4 months ago
Landlords leaving the sector is a process. When it is said that there is little or no evidence that this is so ignores the fact that for most tenancies it takes time. Personally I wait for tenants to move out of my house shares before selling but recently this has slowed down. Sold 3 but 5 more to go. Looking forward I believe the new legislation will generally speed this process up since the new section 8 clause for selling will help clear the way. So my message is for those that think there is no exodus is to be mindful of the slow motion nature of the process.
Northernpleb
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Member Since November 2019 - Comments: 139
9:56 AM, 30th July 2025, About 4 months ago
One consequence of New Legislation.
I have served notice on a family for rent arrears, (Property Damage is also involved)
The Council has informed them they have to Ignore the first Judgement and they need to attend Court on three separate occasions to delay the eviction.
Only then will the Council Consider Housing them and the Children for a maximum 56 Days in temporary accommodation. During this time they need to save up their money and try and find another private rental.
LaLo
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Member Since October 2019 - Comments: 365
10:15 AM, 30th July 2025, About 4 months ago
Will it make any difference? Errrr
moneymanager
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Member Since February 2018 - Comments: 610
10:30 AM, 30th July 2025, About 4 months ago
You must either hope that Property 118 has posted this piece verbatim or that the reporter has mis reported what was said, if this exchange is really what passes for ‘informed debate’ in even just local public office, we have more of a problem than even this cynic thought possible.
‘Mr Winn said: “Our current top reason for homelessness is landlords giving notice or evicting residents from a private tenancy, often through Section 21s.’
Could someone in Buckinhamshire inform Cllr Winn that only a tenant or a judge can bring a tenancy to an end and that an S21 notice solely informs the tenant that night might follow day if they don’t go of their own accord, typically at the expiry of an unrenewed tenancy, no one creates voids on a whim.
moneymanager
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Member Since February 2018 - Comments: 610
10:31 AM, 30th July 2025, About 4 months ago
Reply to the comment left by Northernpleb at 30/07/2025 – 09:56
That’s incitement to commit theft isn’t it?
moneymanager
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Member Since February 2018 - Comments: 610
10:33 AM, 30th July 2025, About 4 months ago
Reply to the comment left by Cider Drinker at 30/07/2025 – 08:56
I wonder who the new tenants will be, lmao!
Ryan Stevens
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Member Since January 2024 - Comments: 277
10:45 AM, 30th July 2025, About 4 months ago
Reply to the comment left by Northernpleb at 30/07/2025 – 09:56
Make sure to apply for a CCJ against the tenants, and tell them that the council’s stance will lead to these CCJs and make it harder for them to rent privately in the future.
Shining Wit
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Member Since November 2013 - Comments: 63
10:54 AM, 30th July 2025, About 4 months ago
Reply to the comment left by Cider Drinker at 30/07/2025 – 08:56
Section 21 is also often the first (of many) steps in the process of being able to re-let a property to a new (set of) tenant(s) – thus playing a small part in REDUCING homelessness.
It’s a bit of a “one out, one in” process – but LL don’t want void periods.
Removing Section 21 may thus have a direct consequence on the speed at which homeless queues can be reduced…