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0:03 AM, 3rd November 2023, About 6 months ago 73
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Angela Rayner has promised to abolish Section 21 straight away if Labour wins the next general election.
In an interview with LBC, the Shadow Housing Secretary answered questions from worried landlords about the removal of Section 21.
Ms Rayner argued that “no-fault evictions are causing misery for people”.
One landlord told the Shadow Housing Secretary that he houses vulnerable people in his properties and the removal of Section 21 will frighten many landlords.
He said: “I specialize in taking homeless people and people from charities who are ex-drug addicts. I take these people on the condition that they get one chance, they can’t mess it up.
“If Section 21 was abolished I would not be able to take these vulnerable people because I could not get rid of them.”
The landlord emphasised the critical role Section 21 played in his ability to help house vulnerable people.
“I have had instances where I have had to use Section 21 because I’ve had an ex drunk who’s been homeless and after five or six months he’s gone back on booze and I’ve had to go through that process. What happens if I can’t do that anymore?
“I wouldn’t be able to take the risk and take people who are homeless or ex drug addicts from charities and that’s all I specialize in. I ask you will you abolish Section 21?”
Ms Rayner told the landlord that no-fault evictions would be abolished immediately under a Labour government.
“Yes, we would abolish Section 21. I’m being honest with you and I gave you a straight answer. I know that the court system is in a mess at the moment and that needs sorting out.
“There’s so many good landlords out there and they’re frustrated by the current situation and the work you are doing is really important.
“However, on balance, Section 21 is causing misery for a lot of people because it is used to turf people out without any explanation or excuse.”
She added: “We need to make sure there’s a fair balance between renters and landlords and being honest with you I think at the moment it’s much too much towards landlords as opposed to tenants.”
Elsewhere in the interview, one landlord told Ms Rayner scrapping Section 21 would cause chaos in landlords trying to gain back possession of their property.
He said: “Most landlords don’t have an issue renting to any tenant that looks after the property and pays the rent.
“However, if it all goes wrong and the landlord wants their property back, they don’t want to wait nine months and they don’t want to have to spend several thousand pounds.
Ms Rayner interrupted and asked: “Is that why you think so many of these Section 21 notices are implemented and imposed on people at the moment because they are significantly used?”
The landlord argued back saying most landlords don’t issue a Section 21 without a valid reason.
He said: “The main reason a landlord will use Section 21 is because they want a tenant out for a reason.
“The tenant might be in breach of the lease or they are causing a disturbance. Section 8 is going to stop all that and therefore landlords will flee the market or the ones that are in the market won’t let to tenants on lower incomes.
“At the end of the day, a landlord has to know that they can get their property back quickly and efficiently.”
The full video can be seen here
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David100
10:43 AM, 3rd November 2023, About 6 months ago
Landlords use Section 21 because normal evictions take too long. If Labour get in, they will implement the same nonsense that is being done in Scotland, with the same result, increased homelessness, and higher rents.
Dylan Morris
10:44 AM, 3rd November 2023, About 6 months ago
She won’t listen she knows best.
Dawn Fellingham
10:47 AM, 3rd November 2023, About 6 months ago
Can labour actually abolish it immediately? Aren't there any checks and balances? If they can and she says that's what they will do then the last of my properties are going up for sale!
Paul McCarthy
10:58 AM, 3rd November 2023, About 6 months ago
This was actually me chatting with her. I found her to at least being honest, not that it helps much
Now I have to rethink what to do with our 38 HMO's, I think maybe soon we will sell them, its not worth the risk as in every HMO per year we have to issue minimum 2 S21's per year.... thats a lot of potential problems for us
OR, we kick all our 200 odd dependent at risk tenants out and refurb and house working people.. higher return yes, but not why I started this project in the first place. Torn what to do TBH
JeggNegg
11:09 AM, 3rd November 2023, About 6 months ago
she says 'she wants a fair balance between tenants and landlords etc'
as a landlord so do i
that's why we have signed contracts and multiple rules to adhere too
whats fair in a tenant breaking the rules of their 'legal' contract?
if tenant can go to council if their is damp etc, in a rented property, surely to be fair
the landlord must be allowed to reciprocate if the tenant is at fault.?
Google suggests
fair=impartial and just
without favouritism or discrimination.
if section 21 abolished is that without favouritism?
Peter Merrick
11:13 AM, 3rd November 2023, About 6 months ago
Reply to the comment left by Paul McCarthy at 03/11/2023 - 10:58
Government are not on your side and anything you do for other people can and will be used against you. Labour will probably be rather worse than Tories who will be seen as mild by comparison.
Realistically, if they get into power then you will have to prioritise your own interests and only let to gold-plated tenants or you will make a rod for your own back.
Dylan Morris
11:21 AM, 3rd November 2023, About 6 months ago
The problem we have is that in our two party system both parties are socialists.
Seething Landlord
11:22 AM, 3rd November 2023, About 6 months ago
Reply to the comment left by Paul McCarthy at 03/11/2023 - 10:58
Thanks for making the argument so clearly in the discussion with Angela Rayner.
We can only hope that, if elected and confronted with reality, Labour will recognise the major problems that abolition of S21 is going to cause, particularly for the most vulnerable, unless it is replaced with something sufficiently robust to give landlords the confidence to stay in the market.
Dylan Morris
11:26 AM, 3rd November 2023, About 6 months ago
Reply to the comment left by Seething Landlord at 03/11/2023 - 11:22Well in Scotland that reality hasn’t sunken in has it ? (It’s actually getting worse with a proposal to cap rents on new tenancies). It won’t sink in with these politicians because their brains are wired up incorrectly.
Jon Landlord
11:35 AM, 3rd November 2023, About 6 months ago
Reply to the comment left by Dawn Fellingham at 03/11/2023 - 10:47
It will require a change in the law, but if Labour win a majority in Parliament and become the next government, then they could put it in a future act of Parliament.