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0:03 AM, 3rd November 2023, About 7 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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Landlords are 'being pushed out of' the PRS 
Dylan Morris
8:29 AM, 4th November 2023, About 7 months ago
The issue isn’t so much Section 21 it’s the supply of rental housing. Section 21 has been with us since 1988 and for many years wasn’t an issue at all. Tenant moved and found another rental property. The problem now is the shortage of rental property so tenant will have great difficulty finding somewhere else to rent. That’s the issue.
The cause ? well there’s lots of reasons, Section 24, selective licensing, tenant fees ban, mass immigration off the scale, inefficient courts, etc. etc. All problems introduced since 1988 by successive Tory Governments.
dismayed landlord
9:17 AM, 4th November 2023, About 7 months ago
Reply to the comment left by Tony Johnson at 03/11/2023 - 15:42
Exactly. They do not need time. It can take place overnight. The power of the pen - no regard for landlords.
Wrighty
9:52 AM, 4th November 2023, About 7 months ago
Reply to the comment left by Dylan Morris at 03/11/2023 - 10:44
Of course she knows best....she knows what will entice a section of society to vote labour but as for everything else...wait and see what happens when people leave the PRS in their droves...to all those renters who think her stance is good...you reap what you sow.
Stella
9:58 AM, 4th November 2023, About 7 months ago
Reply to the comment left by Dylan Morris at 04/11/2023 - 08:29
Yes the unjust treatment we have had from this government and the immigration problem has reduced the supply significantly but removing section 21 will compound the problem reducing the supply even further.
They say there will be some mandatory grounds for possession but these are very limited and no doubt when they become law will be tweaked and made more unpalatable.
Section 21 was great for tenants because it gave them choices they did not have before and with so much property available they could move around easily.
That is about to change but perhaps Shelter has a plan to step in and fill this void.
Southern Boyuk
10:06 AM, 4th November 2023, About 7 months ago
Maybe those of us who have had enough all sell in the spring across the country. Get loads of PR and let those in power and Miss R with the little brain see the homelessness as it happens and how they are directly responsible.
So sad the majority of good landlords are to suffer due to those who let the side down yet the system does nothing to address them, just screw the whole sector.
I have held on but enough is enough I have some really good quality properties to let go.
Seething Landlord
11:18 AM, 4th November 2023, About 7 months ago
Why is nobody mentioning that the abolition of S21 is already included in the RRB?? - the concession to delay its implementation pending reform of the courts is just kicking the can down the road, probably until just after the next general election.
Many are saying they will sell up and get out, but the inevitable price crash generated by large numbers of properties coming on to the market will make it a classic example of shooting yourself in the foot.
Some claim that there is already a mass exodus of landlords but the statistics just released by HMRC show that the number of unincorporated landlords has increased by 900,000 over the past year. No wonder Angela Rayner claims that there are plenty of landlords so losing some will not affect her policies.
Russell Cartner
11:20 AM, 4th November 2023, About 7 months ago
There are lies dam lies and statistics
Seething Landlord
11:26 AM, 4th November 2023, About 7 months ago
Reply to the comment left by Russell Cartner at 04/11/2023 - 11:20Yes, very enlightening. Far better to rely on anecdote and your mate down the pub than to take note of factual information and the underlying data.
Dylan Morris
11:53 AM, 4th November 2023, About 7 months ago
Reply to the comment left by Seething Landlord at 04/11/2023 - 11:18Can you provide a link to these statistics please ? I’m sorry but I’m struggling to believe 900,000 new landlords have entered the PRS in the last 12 months.
Most landlords cannot sell all their properties at once especially if mortgaged. I’ve just sold one of my rental flats and from tenant leaving to completion of the sale it’s taken 6 months. In the meantime I’ve had to pay the mortgage, ground rent, service charges, council tax, water and electricity bills. It’s not that easy exiting you need quite a bit of cash in the bank.
michael caffyn parsons
11:55 AM, 4th November 2023, About 7 months ago
Staggering a thick chav deciding on policy
All it will do is what was achieved in the socialist state of Scotland where a state of emergency has been Declared in Edinburgh due to very high rents and extreme shortage of supply of property and mass homeless