Greens demand rent freeze and eviction ban

An immediate cap on rent increases and a ban on no-fault evictions until at least the end of March 2023 are being demanded by the Green Party.

The party says the government must urgently bring forward its promised Renters Reform Bill in time to stave off ‘a winter of evictions and homelessness’.

And, they say, the government’s reforms must include an immediate ban on evictions and rent rises.

Landlords issuing no-fault eviction notices

The party’s call comes after it was revealed that thousands of tenants are at risk of homelessness after a 76% rise in the number of landlords issuing no-fault eviction notices.

The data from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government reveals that 5,940 households in England are at risk after being handed a Section 21 eviction notice between April and June.

That’s up from 3,380 in the same period in 2021.

‘Bill must include an immediate cap on rent increases’

Carla Denyer, co-leader of the Green Party of England and Wales, said: “The Bill must include an immediate cap on rent increases until at least the end of March 2023, as well as a ban on no-fault evictions over the same period to prevent landlords evicting tenants in order to raise rents.”

In Scotland, where the Scottish Greens are in government with the SNP, similar measures have already become law.

The party also points to average rental prices outside London becoming an issue for renters after they hit a high of £1,162 a month, jumping 11% in the past year.

The legislation is still a ‘priority’

The UK government produced a White Paper in June and housing minister Andrew Stephenson told Parliament in October the legislation is still a ‘priority’.

Ms Denyer said: “Knowing that you have a secure home over winter is vital for both physical and mental health.

“Households already face soaring energy and food costs; the last thing they need, on top of everything else they have to contend with, is unaffordable rent rises and the fear of being evicted.”

‘Rising private rents and increasing evictions’

She added: “Rising private rents and increasing evictions have also been cited as major causes of a dramatic increase in homelessness in London and other cities.

“The number of people sleeping rough on the capital’s streets has jumped by a shocking 24% in the past year.

“We are calling on the government to introduce an immediate freeze on rent rises and a ban on evictions by landlords who simply want to increase rents between tenancies.

“The Scottish government has introduced legislation to safeguard tenants this winter. We want to see the housing minister introduce similar measures in England, and for the Senedd to use its devolved powers to do so in Wales.”