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10:07 AM, 18th April 2024, About 2 weeks ago 32
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Homelessness charity Shelter claims that since the government unveiled plans in 2019 to abolish Section 21 ‘no-fault’ evictions, nearly one million tenants have been evicted under the process.
It also warns that any further delay in banning Section 21 will see more renters being ‘tipped into homelessness’.
The charity’s survey also found that the moving costs for tenants are around £550m every year.
And in the past 12 months, 830,000 tenants say they’ve had to relocate against their wishes after a tenancy ended, they were priced out by a rent rise or were handed a Section 21 notice.
That’s 500 renters having to relocate every day, Shelter claims.
The charity also says that being forced to move means tenants are facing rising costs for upfront deposits and rents which cost more than £1bn every year – which is £1,245 per person, on average.
Shelter’s chief executive, Polly Neate, said: “Tenants are coughing up millions in unwanted and unwarranted moves, while the government runs scared of a minority of its own MPs.
“Instead of striking dodgy deals with backbenchers to strangle the Renters (Reform) Bill, Ministers should defend renters’ best hope of a stable home.”
She adds: “With protections from eviction so weak and rents so high, we constantly hear from people forced out of their homes and communities at huge personal cost.
“It’s impossible for renters to put down roots knowing a no-fault eviction could plunge them back into chaos at any moment.”
The Renters (Reform) Bill, which aims to abolish no-fault evictions, is set to return to Parliament next week but a leaked letter from Levelling Up Minister Jacob Young revealed plans to dilute the much-anticipated bill.
Shelter’s survey also found that 40% of all renters questioned had been forced to move.
The reasons for these varied, with 245,000 tenants having to move because their fixed-term tenancy ended and 61,000 being priced out due to a rent increase.
Nearly 190,000 received a legal eviction notice, and 135,000 were informally asked to leave by their landlord.
Shelter says that the cost of moving leads to unrecoverable costs for tenants, including overlapping rent and bill payments, property viewing and moving costs, cleaning fees and one-off charges like wi-fi installation.
On average, these costs leave renters £669 out of pocket.
When adding other upfront costs, such as advance rent payments and tenancy deposits, the average cost of each unwanted move rises to £1,245, totalling more than £1bn collectively, Shelter says.
The figures do not include rising living costs and rent increases – and this week the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reported that rents had increased by £107 per month (9.1%), and by £207 per month in London (11.2%) in the year up to March.
Watch the Sky News report on this issue, including an interview with Jacob Young, who explains that the MPs who want changes understand how the private rented sector operates. Landlords might also be surprised to hear the reporter claim at the end that ‘It’s all too often that charities like Shelter are left to pick up the bill for renters like Natalie’:
NewYorkie
18:49 PM, 18th April 2024, About 2 weeks ago
Reply to the comment left by Paul at 18/04/2024 - 18:33
When I say we have choice, I mean we don't have to invest in BTL, and when that translates into fewer rental properties [already happening], who suffers? If we are already invested, we can see out the lifecycle of particular rentals, but if renters and their lobbyists continue to make unreasonable demands concerning our properties, again, it won't be landlords who suffer.
LaLo
19:16 PM, 18th April 2024, About 2 weeks ago
What you say is so true! I’ll never understand human nature - the renters and ‘do gooders’ never seem able to see that point of view!
PAUL BARTLETT
23:29 PM, 18th April 2024, About 2 weeks ago
Reply to the comment left by Ray Guselli at 18/04/2024 - 12:06
"245,000 tenants having to move because their fixed-term tenancy ended"
So nothing to do with Section 21 rather the fully expected completion of a contract as originally agreed.
The usual Sh###er made up nonsense to suit their agenda.
PAUL BARTLETT
23:44 PM, 18th April 2024, About 2 weeks ago
Reply to the comment left by Mr Blueberry at 18/04/2024 - 17:06
"improving the Court process, which nobody can disagree with, is slow and cumbersome needs urgent reform."
The Section 21 route currently a 12 month process to vacant possession without any defence or respite decisions by the court.
The Ombudsman not defined, built and proven is another large risk for landlords as nobody knows what they will do for how long at what cost.
The RRB is clearly not fit for purpose and deliverable.
The MoJ has made no commitment to fix the antiquated and underfunded courts so why would anything improve....
PAUL BARTLETT
23:46 PM, 18th April 2024, About 2 weeks ago
"improving the Court process, which nobody can disagree with, is slow and cumbersome needs urgent reform."
The Section 21 route currently a 12 month process to vacant possession without any defence or respite decisions by the court.
The Ombudsman not defined, built and proven is another large risk for landlords as nobody knows what they will do for how long at what cost.
The RRB is clearly not fit for purpose and deliverable.
The MoJ has made no commitment to fix the antiquated and underfunded courts so why would anything improve....
Cider Drinker
9:26 AM, 19th April 2024, About 2 weeks ago
One million eh?
That’s bad news for landlords who will lose the income from nearly one million people. However, it’s good news for those in temporary accommodation and for those encouraged to buy their own homes.
Zen
12:22 PM, 19th April 2024, About 2 weeks ago
The truth behind the headline.
Homeless charity Shelter claims that since the government unveiled it's plans in 2019 to abolish Section 21 ‘no-fault’ evictions, nearly one million tenants have been evicted under the process.
I'd like to point out the obvious:-
How many section 21 evictions were there in the 5 years prior to "the government unveiling" these plans?
I don't know the answer but I expect that there were a lot less than 1 million.
What does this tell us?
Common sense tells us that the fact that "the government unveiled it's plans in 2019 to abolish Section 21 ‘no-fault’ evictions" caused the increase in evictions because landlords are worried that they were losing control of their hard earned assets.
The fact that "the government unveiled it's plans in 2019 to abolish Section 21 ‘no-fault’ evictions" quite clearly caused increase in evictions.
Who campaigned to "abolish Section 21 ‘no-fault’ evictions"? Oh, that would be Shelter.
Who caused the increase in evictions???
The truthful headline.
Shelter's campaign to pressure the government to abolish section 21 caused a massive increase in evictions.
THE REAL FACT!!!
NewYorkie
13:30 PM, 19th April 2024, About 2 weeks ago
Reply to the comment left by Zen at 19/04/2024 - 12:22
Is it a coincidence that there is 30% less private rental property since 2019?
Darren Sullivan
17:37 PM, 20th April 2024, About 2 weeks ago
Section 21 is a good tool to allow a landlord to avoid a huge legal bill and a tenant avoid a CCJ when they can’t pay the next rent increase. Like a lot of things in the last ten years there have been lots of increases.
This tenant is nice enough but too soft. Life isn’t always fair on everyone you have to be tough, take the medicine and move on.
It is a shame to see section 21 go but when it does life will become harder for landlords and tenants. Section 21 is a form to facilitate the end of a tenancy without the need for financial harm.
Steve B
19:01 PM, 20th April 2024, About 2 weeks ago
Shelter have their mouthpieces and plenty of the popular press willing to voice Shelter's 'truth' as they see it. I don't know how they can claim to be impartial if they never engage with landlords for the 'other truth'. Also, based on their latest financial return, (https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-search/-/charity-details/263710/accounts-and-annual-returns) they raised £40m this year BUT spent £19.8m doing so and on the retail front, they spent £13.9m raising just £12.8 .. perhaps they ought to invest in property - maybe even the BTL market to try and realise how easy it us to join us 'Filthy Rich' landlords?