Generation Rent urges Lords to deliver stronger tenant protection from eviction

Generation Rent urges Lords to deliver stronger tenant protection from eviction

0:04 AM, 1st May 2024, About 3 weeks ago 27

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Last year saw the highest number of households being evicted due to Section 21 ‘no-fault’ evictions since data collection began in 2018, Generation Rent says.

It is pointing at new government figures for England and says that when the House of Lords debate the Renters (Reform) Bill, protection for tenants from eviction must be strengthened.

The campaign group estimates that abolishing Section 21 last year could have prevented homelessness for 10,000 households that were evicted between April and December 2023 by landlords seeking to re-let properties.

However, the data also shows that 23,000 households faced homelessness during the same period because their landlords wanted to sell.

Under the current Bill, selling the property remains a valid reason for eviction with only two months’ notice provided and no financial support for moving costs.

‘Abolition of Section 21 evictions’

Generation Rent’s chief executive, Ben Twomey, said: “Abolition of Section 21 evictions has the potential to make a huge difference to renters’ lives and reduce the number of us who have to get our council’s help to avoid homelessness.

“But the government’s current plans will leave tens of thousands of us exposed to homelessness because of the lack of protection when landlords still have a valid reason to evict us, like selling the property.”

He added: “Renters need more time to move than the two months we currently get, and landlords who are uprooting their tenants’ lives should support us with the costs of moving.

“That will both reduce the stress and hardship of an unwanted move and reduce the homelessness epidemic that is currently shredding councils’ finances.”


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Comments

Paul Essex

9:09 AM, 1st May 2024, About 3 weeks ago

At least they recognize that selling is a valid reason for eviction in this statement.

Monty Bodkin

9:35 AM, 1st May 2024, About 3 weeks ago

"Last year saw the highest number of households being evicted due to Section 21 ‘no-fault’ evictions since data collection began in 2018"

Data collection began in 1999 and has been far higher in the past;

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/mortgage-and-landlord-possession-statistics

Fed Up Landlord

10:10 AM, 1st May 2024, About 3 weeks ago

Good old Ben Looney. Keep doing the same thing and get the same results.

The more him and Ms Bleat beat the Section 21 drum, the more Section 21s there will be.

And when it's " banned" and LLs continue to sell up, what will he say then?

******* Idiot.

David

10:18 AM, 1st May 2024, About 3 weeks ago

What did the landlord's representative say to the Lords!
Where in my SAT does it say i need to pay tenant's moving costs.Tenants signed that so why do they expect to overturn a legal contract.Makes a mockery of contract law.
If the government is proposing to wreck SAT's and remove Section 21, rather like leasehold reform they need to consider landlord's human rights and pay us compensation.
Is it any wonder landlord's want to evict now so why is Gen Z so surprised.
Why is Gen Z expecting private landlords to supply them homes from womb to tomb, that's what council houses were meant for, but they are still being sold off.Obviously the councils can't cope even currently but that's not a private landlord's responsibility.

Retired GasMan

10:19 AM, 1st May 2024, About 3 weeks ago

Reply to the comment left by David at 01/05/2024 - 10:18
wise words

Beaver

10:23 AM, 1st May 2024, About 3 weeks ago

"Under the current Bill, selling the property remains a valid reason for eviction with only two months’ notice provided and no financial support for moving costs."

There's clearly more than one issue here. Section 21 is important because under the present regime you can't get your property back from the courts even when your reasons are valid without a disproportionate amount of time and money. There's a lot of talk of rogue landlords but the present system leaves landlords exposed to rogue tenants.

Clearly if you need to sell or move back into your property you should be able to evict. If you have a tenant that doesn't pay, damages the property or upsets the neighbours you should be able to evict.

I don't have a big problem with giving good tenants longer than two months notice provided that I can get the rent off them and they don't spend six months trashing the property. The problem with the current system is that as a landlord you can't protect yourself. You can't agree more than a 5 week deposit. You can't send a tenant an invoice for damage done to your property. As it presently stands the system does not favour long-term landlords and long-term tenants and it also penalises short-term lets.

Retired GasMan

10:28 AM, 1st May 2024, About 3 weeks ago

His suggestion of tenants expenses being paid has already been rejected. He should probably put his XBOX down and keep up

TheBiggerPicture

10:42 AM, 1st May 2024, About 3 weeks ago

Reply to the comment left by Fed Up Landlord at 01/05/2024 - 10:10
He says government needs the to step in and create properties.
The problem in his mind is likely that landlords are not bad, just when they are private landlords or making 'profit'.

Communism is the driver here.

Beaver

10:43 AM, 1st May 2024, About 3 weeks ago

Reply to the comment left by Retired GasMan at 01/05/2024 - 10:28
If tenants want a greater benefit from you as a landlord e.g. longer notice periods and in effect greater security of tenure (which appears to be what this discussion about moving expenses is about) then there should be some way of protecting yourself as a landlord and ensuring that you get paid and don't lose your assets. There isn't one and the present law actually prevents much of what you might try to do to come to some kind of agreement with someone who might appear to be a good tenant....good references, guarantor, stable job, family with kids and both parents working etc.

What is actually happening at the moment is that good tenants are finding their way around the law by offering landlords more money than the advertised rent for the property and paying rent upfront to secure the property. And it's the fact that not only good landlords but also good tenants are having to find ways around the law that tells you it's a s*** system.

The consequences of it being a s*** system are that this has created a situation where supply cannot keep up with demand and tenants are driving up rents as much as landlords are.

Martin Roberts

11:45 AM, 1st May 2024, About 3 weeks ago

I suspect if LL provided free food to Mr Looney he'd want legislation that it should be cooked fir him, and if someone wiped his backside he'd want softer tissue.

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