Landlords issue ‘veiled threat’ to evict tenants over Section 21

A representative of the Renter’s Reform Coalition who was privy to government conversations involving tenant and landlord groups says landlords made a ‘veiled threat’ to evict renters.

The head of the organisation, Tom Darling, says that in one meeting, landlords said they would act before the Renters’ Rights Bill came into force to use Section 21 possession notices.

Once the Bill becomes law, Labour says it won’t wait for the court backlog to be cleared but will ban Section 21 ‘no-fault’ evictions immediately.

The campaigner says that landlords told Matthew Pennycook, the housing minister, that before the law is enacted ‘a wave of evictions’ will take place.

‘One last arbitrary eviction’

Mr Darling told the Metro newspaper that the landlords are making a bid that is ‘one last arbitrary eviction just to feel something’.

He was speaking at a fringe event at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool and reportedly said: “I won’t mention their name.”

He went on to say he thought the comment was ‘remarkable’ and ‘shows why Section 21 needs to be abolished in and off itself’.

Mr Darling then explained that the situation for evicting tenants is ‘ridiculous’ because landlords feel they have the power to issue such a threat.

Making threats to evict tenants

He then pointed to social media and landlord forums where he says that landlords are making threats to evict tenants before Section 21 is scrapped.

Mr Darling told the paper that he thinks this is ‘slightly psychotic’.

The fringe event was organised by the coalition after deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner told delegates that the Bill would ‘rebalance’ the private rented sector.