Polly Neate – “It’s appalling that every seven minutes another private renter is slapped with a no-fault eviction notice”

Polly Neate – “It’s appalling that every seven minutes another private renter is slapped with a no-fault eviction notice”

8:47 AM, 27th April 2022, About 2 years ago 60

Text Size

Shelter’s latest one-sided propaganda continues to pile pressure on calls to ban Section 21 eviction notices with their press release stating:

“Every seven minutes a private renter in England is handed a Section 21 no-fault eviction notice by their landlord, new research from Shelter shows. This gives tenants just two months to leave their home and the landlord does not need to give any reason for evicting them.

Nearly 230,000 private renters have been served with a formal no-fault eviction notice since the government first committed to scrap this unfair form of eviction in April 2019. This is despite an eviction ban being in place for 14 months of this three-year period due to the pandemic.

Shelter is urging the government to deliver on its long overdue promise to scrap no-fault evictions as new figures from the charity’s YouGov poll reveal a quarter of all private renters (2.8 million people) have had three or more private rented homes in the last five years. The figure for renting families with children is one in five (320,000 families). Based on these findings and what it sees in its frontline services, Shelter is concerned about the destabilising impact on children of constantly having to move.

Losing a private tenancy is the second biggest cause of homelessness in England, and the cost-of-living crisis could push even more private renters to the brink. In the coming months, many renters could increasingly struggle to cover the cost of being forced to find a new home, like putting down a deposit or paying rent in advance, following a no-fault eviction.

In the Queen’s Speech next month, Shelter wants the government to honour its pledge to deliver a Renters’ Reform Bill this year to make private renting fairer and safer for all. The bill must include banning Section 21 no-fault evictions to give renters greater security in their homes.”

Polly Neate, Chief Executive of Shelter, said: “It’s appalling that every seven minutes another private renter is slapped with a no-fault eviction notice despite the government promising to scrap these grossly unfair evictions three years ago. It’s no wonder many renters feel forgotten.

“Millions of private renters are living in limbo, never truly able to settle, in case their landlord kicks them out on a whim. It’s a well-founded fear as our frontline services support renters all the time who are scrambling to find a home after being told to up sticks with just two months’ notice.

“With inflation and bills skyrocketing, renters desperately need a secure home as many will struggle to stump up the costs of having to move unexpectedly. To give private renters stability during a time of deep uncertainty, the government must introduce a Renters’ Reform Bill that bans no-fault evictions this year. Anything less would be a kick in the teeth for England’s 11 million private renters.”


Share This Article


Comments

Philip Savva

19:11 PM, 1st May 2022, About 2 years ago

Reply to the comment left by Seething Landlord at 01/05/2022 - 17:43
Why? Because firstly there is a court hearing & if the tenant pleads poverty, the chances are there’ll be no possession awarded, then you have to re-apply for possession & go through the process again, so can be a very lengthy process, secondly if they judge awards arrears etc to be paid to you, you then have to enforce, which is the hardest task, just because judge orders tenant to pay the arrears, I don’t mean shit! The tenant will just iqnore the order & then it’s up to you to pursue the debt, which as I have stated, is a thankless task

CMS

6:55 AM, 20th May 2022, About 2 years ago

The problem with this is it completely ignores the fact that there are a % of tenants that ask the landlord to serve the section 21 as they need to be evicted in order to get on the Council waiting list. It is not their desire to stay in the house that leads to the section 21 as opposed the tenant just leaving most of the time it is because if the approach the councils take to their waiting lists.

Having said all that, i really think the renters reform etc really have to stop lauding the abolition of s21 as i really can see this being a good thing for landlords and, whilst appearing to help the tenant, in reality it will do very little.

They are talking about having section 21's still available for certain things eg landlord wants to move in or sell. It wouldn't shock me if these were moved to ground for section 8 so that Boris et al can celebrate 0% section 21's!

Lee Bowen

14:50 PM, 23rd May 2022, About 2 years ago

I had a very large and aggressive tenant who was in rent arrears.

For the 11 years of his occupation he was regularly behind with the top-up to his housing benefit and I would periodically have to ask for back payments.

When he told me he couldn’t afford to pay for 6 months to pay for his holiday, I gave up and began Section 8 Possession for circa £ 2 k rent in 2020.

The tenant went to Shelter with a list of complaints of disrepair, some he had caused the damage himself, some he hadn’t reported to me and others that I’d made efforts to rectify despite being excluded from entering the property for a year.

There was a counterclaim for disrepair and notional damages up to the amount of £ 15k claimed against me! Plus the risk of considerable legal costs should I lose the case.

I sought the assistance of Chris from Possession Friend. He worked with me from mid 2020 through to the 2-day court hearing culminating this month.

My statement of evidence was massively enhanced and Chris spent a great deal of time throughout the very emotional and time consuming process, advising and supporting me, including attending court.

The case was presented for the tenant by a barrister on legal aid, sourced by Shelter (at an unknown but significant cost to the taxpayer).

I represented myself with advice and support from Chris.

After considering the substantial evidence I submitted, the judge said he didn’t believe the tenant's version and awarded me outstanding rent and possession.

Landlord 1 - Shelter Nil.

As a result of my experience, I will be selling the property so there’ll be one less rental property in a market of high demand.

Going forward, I will not rent to a Tenant in receipt of benefit without references and a cast iron guarantor.

Mick Roberts

15:30 PM, 23rd May 2022, About 2 years ago

Reply to the comment left by Lee Bowen at 23/05/2022 - 14:50
Great series of events there Lee & thanks for taking the time to say it as it happened.
We all need people like Chris going forward.

CMS

4:27 AM, 27th May 2022, About 2 years ago

What i have really disliked about this whole 'section 21 abolition' campaign is that the basis upon which the apparent evidence that s21 is a problem is rubbish.

All the Govt etc say is that s21's are rising but what they dont say is (1) how many of these are served, not because the tenant wants to stay, but because the tenant has to stay and be evicted in order to get on the councils waiting list; and (2) how many of these s21's were served for a reason that will be valid (albeit probably under a section 8) after this apparent abolition?

In my view, this is all smoke and mirrors and an attempt by the Govt to try and attract renters votes but in reality it will do very little...they are solving a problem that's not even there...as if they haven't got enough problems to work on!!

Happy Landlord

8:57 AM, 27th May 2022, About 2 years ago

What every one has to realize is that with the drinking culture of the government and in particular the left wing civil service how many acts of parliament have actually been thought through in recent years - I would suggest even pre section 24 - this culture did not just appear with Covid or if it did let the government and an enquiry prove otherwise. I think most of these acts have been prepared through an alcoholic haze with ministers just signing off anything that happened to pass across their desk. It does put into question all manor of acts and legislation put forward in recent times.

Philip Savva

9:04 AM, 27th May 2022, About 2 years ago

What Shelter & the government need to understand is that as Landlords we only use S21 non fault, when we need to evict a tenant for blatant rent arrears or antisocial behaviour as S8 is not upto the job!

Carol

9:18 AM, 27th May 2022, About 2 years ago

Reply to the comment left by Philip Savva at 27/05/2022 - 09:04
What about selling? I have another sale completing today and another that I am instructing for sale. I am now retired and cannot afford the risk of getting a bad tenant and losing all my hard earned retirement fund. I will also pay less tax, after paying a lump sum in CGT. Renting is not worth the stress. Well done Shelter and government - another family that will not have the opportunity to rent my excellent property.

Seething Landlord

9:27 AM, 27th May 2022, About 2 years ago

Reply to the comment left by Philip Savva at 27/05/2022 - 09:04And therein lies the problem. S21 was never intended to be used for those grounds which are catered for by S8 but has become the weapon of choice for landlords as it provides an easier route to eviction than was considered appropriate when the 1988 Act was passed.

Philip Savva

15:33 PM, 29th May 2022, About 2 years ago

Reply to the comment left by Seething Landlord at 27/05/2022 - 09:27
Exactly!!

1 2 3 4 5 6

Leave Comments

In order to post comments you will need to Sign In or Sign Up for a FREE Membership

or

Don't have an account? Sign Up

Landlord Tax Planning Book Now