Mayor of London condemns government inaction as no-fault evictions soar

Mayor of London condemns government inaction as no-fault evictions soar

0:06 AM, 4th March 2024, About 2 months ago 11

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More than 30,000 renting households in London have faced a no-fault eviction claim since the government pledged to abolish them in 2019, according to new figures.

Figures from the Ministry of Justice reveal the number of ‘no-fault eviction’ claims has risen 62% in the last year from 7,057 in 2022 to 11,457 in 2023 in London.

Sadiq Khan is demanding the government take action to resolve the rental crisis.

Government must see renter rights as a priority

According to the latest government statistics, 35,760 people faced the threat of homelessness in England between July and September 2023, a 3.1% increase from the previous year.

Of these, nearly 7,000 were issued with a Section 21 ‘no-fault’ eviction notice. Sadiq Khan says renters in London are being let down by the government.

He said: “Once again London’s 2.7m private renters are left with the threat of eviction hanging over their heads due to ministers’ broken promises.

“Any sense of relief we felt when the Renters Reform Bill finally limped into Parliament last year has now been washed away by months of dither and delay, followed by reports of the promised reforms now being watered down beyond recognition.

“Meanwhile, in the real world, London renters are losing their homes at a rapidly increasing rate both from the still-legal Section 21 and the actions of unscrupulous rogue landlords.

“I am doing all I can to build a better, fairer London for everyone by supporting tenants but I cannot act alone. The government must see renter rights as a priority and get this Bill into law as a matter of the highest priority.”

Housing crisis deepens

Ben Twomey, chief executive of Generation Rent echoed Mr Khan’s thoughts and is calling for longer eviction notice periods.

He said: “It is unacceptable for renters to be treated as an afterthought around government reforms which we were told would help us.

“The government must extend notice periods from two to four months for renters who are evicted through no fault of our own, as one of the most important ways the new law could prevent homelessness.

“As the housing crisis deepens in London and across the country, it is vital that politicians take urgent action to support renters everywhere.”


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Comments

Badgers tusk

10:42 AM, 4th March 2024, About 2 months ago

I think the government are looking at this in the wrong way. This bill is only going to create more problems for the tenents as it’s another nail in the coffin for landlords. The more regs and taxes and costs put on the landlord either means landlords selling up or increasing prices. Either way the tenent loses out. Make the PRS a booming place where money can be made and it will get more investment better homes, more competition lower prices for the tenent. As usual the political parties are looking at it the wrong way.

JB

13:14 PM, 4th March 2024, About 2 months ago

How about landlords rights? You're already seeing the effects of your stupidity 'in the real world'

Anne Nixon

13:29 PM, 4th March 2024, About 2 months ago

The rise in S21s is probably due to the number of landlords wanting their property vacated as they are selling up due the government's anti-landlord policies.
Give it another year and the number of S21s will drop naturally anyway as there'll be hardly anybody left!

Reluctant Landlord

13:43 PM, 4th March 2024, About 2 months ago

Reply to the comment left by Anne Nixon at 04/03/2024 - 13:29
....and where S8 comes in to replace the S21 ALL grounds will be clear as to why possession is required. All tenants are going to be well and truly screwed after this. Even if I go for the mandatory ground, I will be making sure I also list the discretionary ones just so its completely clear why the mandatory ground (selling up/moving a family member in) WAS stated.

If Shelter et al want the 'fault' explained - and it openly shows its down to tenant behaviour then so be it!

Cider Drinker

19:07 PM, 4th March 2024, About 2 months ago

This idiot is the Mayor of London. How TF did that happen?

The Renters (Reform) Bill, Shelter (who don’t provide shelter, Generation Rent and cloister ends like Khan are DIRECTLY responsible for many tenants receiving Section 21 Notices ahead of ridiculous and largely unnecessary legislation.

Juan Degales

19:17 PM, 4th March 2024, About 2 months ago

It’s election year.
He must know rent caps and removing sect 21 will have dire consequences , but a few more votes is all he’s concerned with.

Mike

0:27 AM, 5th March 2024, About 2 months ago

Khan....remember no landlords evict decent o time rent paying well behaved tenants, so the ones being evicted are because of your policies causing them out of pocket, yu brought ULEZ, that caused many to skip rents to buy newer cars.

graham mcauley

11:51 AM, 5th March 2024, About 2 months ago

Surely even if they scrap section 21 and make it section 8, there will still have to be clause to say, I want my house back, as I no longer wish to rent it out, or I want to sell, no reason other than that. no arguments, or nobody will rent out a house again

Southern Boyuk

20:29 PM, 5th March 2024, About 2 months ago

He is very good at quoting numbers and percentages without facts behind them.

Of the so-called 30,000. How many were because of Tenant issues how many landlord selling up, how many because the landlord wanted to develop the property and make it better, how many retaliatory.

None of these facts are shown just the top line of S 21 equals 30,000.

Absolutely ridiculous that legislation is based on this without full qualification as to how many are actually bad landlords wanting to throw people out rather than Tenant issues

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