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14:33 PM, 1st August 2019, About 5 years ago 10
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Firstly, let me repeat the words I said to Richard Bilton in a TV interview I did with Panorama at my office two summers ago (an interview which lasted just seventeen seconds): “There is no such thing as NO-FAULT Eviction under Section 21”.
There is always a reason why a landlord wants possession. According to the survey we carried out on LandlordZone, 58% of the time it is down to rent arrears and just 0.5% are because the tenant has asked for repairs to be carried out – known as ‘Retaliation Eviction’.
Most of the time tenants will not know the reason because landlords do not have to give one. There has never been any specific data, but The Lettings Industry Council is calling on its members to send out surveys to their landlords and letting agent databases to find out how many Section 21s are being sent out and for what reason.
As I have said in previous articles, from sitting in various meetings with trade bodies and landlord associations, the industry is coming together and has one clear message to the government: ‘Do not ban Section 21 until we have a clear understanding that the Court System or Housing Courts have sufficient investment to cope with the extra hearings, judges, administration and portals. We need better education tools for tenants and an overhaul of the bailiff system so that landlords are confident they can gain possession if required.”
This is the biggest change and threat to landlords in years. Much greater than additional stamp duty, Section 24 mortgage interest relief or the tenant fees ban. Whether it’s a landlord with one property, a professional landlord with a large portfolio or a big institutional investor in the Build to Rent sector, investors need confidence.
The Fair Possessions Coalition, which includes bodies such as ARLA Propertymark, Safe Agent, the Residential Landlords Association, the National Landlords Association and Landlord Action, have filed a response statement to the government with ideas on what Section 8 should look like, with clear grounds for repossession that are unable to be exploited by criminal landlords or unreliable tenants. We need a complete overhaul of the regulations and processes which enable landlords to repossess their properties if required.
Banning Section 21, longer-term tenancies and introducing a Housing Court are all linked and must work together. In fact, next week, I have MHCLG coming to our offices to shadow our Landlord Action solicitors, case workers, paralegals and support staff. We want to demonstrate the positives but also the challenges faced with the current system and offer our thoughts on what is needed for landlords in terms of better lead times, so that landlords can have confidence in buy-to-let in the future. The Ministry of Justice must invest.
If we look at 2018 statistics from the Ministry of Justice, in total 116,500 claims were issued, 71,500 from social landlords, 22,500 from private landlord using Section 8 with hearings and 22,500 for accelerated possession proceedings. Out of the 116,500 claims, 89,000 had possession orders granted, from which 60,000 went on to have a warrant issued and 32,000 were repossessions by county court bailiffs. The ministry of Justice last year made over £7.2 million in bailiff warrant fees.
But let’s breakdown the accelerated procedure (Section 21) figures from 2018.
Although we don’t know the exact figures because Section 21 is “no-fault”, we do know that a lot of these evictions are still as a result of councils encouraging tenants to stay put until they are evicted because of the chronic shortage of social housing. This puts the burden back on the landlord with lost time, rent arrears and stress for both the landlord and tenant.
So, my point is, what will happen to these tenants if Section 21 is banned? Although many Section 21 cases are down to rent arrears, this is not stated. If landlords are told to use Section 8 with a hearing and obtain a money order, the councils will then see that a tenant has incurred rent arrears and made themselves homeless, they will therefore be under no obligation to re-house them. What impact will that have?
In addition, I predict that Section 8 hearings will double because landlords who would previously have used Section 21 will use Section 8. This will double the amount of court time before judges that is required, also meaning that a major recruitment drive of judges to deal with the increased number of hearings will be necessary.
I have been very vocal for many years on Section 8 and I strongly believe that when a money order is made, a County Court Judgement should be registered. This would help landlords to gauge if their tenants have had rent arrears possession cases made against them in the past and possibly save them from repeat circumstances, but I cannot see the government agreeing to this.
The government has now launched a 12-week consultation on Tenancy Reform in England which will consider proposals to scrap Section 21, improve the court system and an alternative process for regaining possession of a property via Section 8. This change is one of the biggest reforms in the PRS for many many years. I urge as many landlords and letting agents to complete this survey and HAVE YOUR SAY NOW. I believe the number of participants in this survey will be one of the highest the government has ever received.
CLICK HERE https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/52JFF5T
Specialists in tenant eviction and debt collection. Regulated by The Law Society.
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Dr Rosalind Beck
9:29 AM, 2nd August 2019, About 5 years ago
I already completed the consultation a while back, but this article has just prompted me to send them my article pointing out many of the issues with this shocking, knee-jerk idea. I don't agree with you Paul that it is a fait accompli - but then I am an optimist. We have a new Government to all intents and purposes and why they should be bound by this capricious policy is beyond me. They could halt it in its tracks - and that is the tack I would be taking. NB. I mention your programme at the beginning of the article.
https://www.conservativehome.com/localgovernment/2019/07/rosalind-beck-the-governments-war-on-landlords-will-only-make-the-housing-crisis-worse-for-the-lowest-paid.html
Graham Landlord
9:35 AM, 2nd August 2019, About 5 years ago
The simple solution that works for everyone.
1) Increase the notice period of a Section 21 from two months to one year. This stops the use of a Section 21 notice as an effective way of evicting good tenants that are merely complaining, because a year is too long. The good tenant is secure in that fact they always have a minimum of another year in the property. This also maintains the guarantee that, no matter what, the Landlord will eventually get their property back.
2) Strengthen and speed up the eviction by “Tenant at fault” Section 8 Notice procedure, so that it works! Currently a Tenant must be a minimum of two months in arrears for a Landlord to apply and possibly obtain a section 8 possession order. The Tenant has to only reduce their arrears to just below this figure the day before the court hearing to have the application cancelled, wasting the landlords’ £325 court fee. The Tenant then goes back into arrears and starts the whole expensive process over again. You are prosecuted for speeding even if you slow down and stop. It should be the same, once a Tenant has become two months in arrears, the Landlord can issued a section 8 notice, after that, even if the Tenant then repays this, only the Landlord can cancel the Section 8 application. A Landlord will not want to evict a good Tenant that has cleared their arrears.
Martin Weaver
9:35 AM, 2nd August 2019, About 5 years ago
Am i blind, but on the government website it says:
The government also proposed to strengthen the section 8 eviction process, so landlords are able to regain their property should they wish to sell it or move into it themselves. This will provide a more secure legal framework and a more stable rental market for landlords to remain and invest in.
But looking in their proposed section 8 grounds in the new deal for renting - i dont see a ground if we want to sell the property !
Paul Essex
10:54 AM, 2nd August 2019, About 5 years ago
Although sounding like a good thing to do the whole section on domestic abuse concerns me as well. At no point do they actually explain the 'right to remain in a property' . Can they afford the rent with loss of income? How long is that 'right' six months, a year, until the children have left home???? All very one sided, there is precious little for us here.
Martin Weaver
11:03 AM, 2nd August 2019, About 5 years ago
Reply to the comment left by Paul Essex at 02/08/2019 - 10:54
Hi Paul
my thoughts and comments on the domestic section were along the lines of we provide housing we are not social workers or a charity.
AJR
18:21 PM, 2nd August 2019, About 5 years ago
I agree with RB. I think there just may be an opportunity here to get things right. There is just no room for another bungled bit of legislation thrown at the PRS. Things are fast coming to a head.
Section 21 is already very badly compromised by raft after raft of overly complex bits of poorly framed legislation including, right to rent, how to rent, multiple deposit protection revisions, epc’s, etc. In effect S21 is fast becoming a form of entrapment for private housing providers. It needs revision, at the very least the rolling back of all those compromising ad on’s. What would be intolerable for an increasingly frustrated and angry PRS is yet another government mess up.
Gromit
21:55 PM, 2nd August 2019, About 5 years ago
Sometimes you need a major f*** up to precipitate a complete revamp.
Mick Roberts
11:08 AM, 3rd August 2019, About 5 years ago
This is what gets my back up with Nottingham Council Homeless.
They at NO POINT ask the Landlord why he evicting. If this happened (needs to be after the tenant has left), they'd have good record of why.
And what u say above, the vulnerable tenants lose out again, Landlords choosing to take Super clean perfect better earning Guarantor tenant.
Chris
17:10 PM, 3rd August 2019, About 5 years ago
At present Section 8 is useless as a tenants can make false claims to defend an eviction. It took me a year to evict one tenant and in the end had to let him walk with around £5,000 arrears plus a large legal bill.
Dr Rosalind Beck
17:29 PM, 3rd August 2019, About 5 years ago
Reply to the comment left by Chris at 03/08/2019 - 17:10
Hi Chris.
If you were willing, it would be useful if you could write up the story of this eviction here. We could then use it in our arguments against the scrapping of Section 21.