NEW GOVERNMENT FIGURES reveal that 5,890 landlords in England started no-fault eviction court proceedings against tenants between January and March 2022 – up 41 per cent compared to the same period in 2020 before the pandemic.
The number of renters facing eviction continues to rise, after the eviction ban put in place to keep renters safe in their homes during the pandemic was lifted. New figures show that:
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18,626 eviction claims were made to court by landlords between January and March 2022, up by 32 per cent on the previous quarter.
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Of these, 5,890 were no-fault eviction claims, which were up by 63 per cent on the previous quarter and 41 per cent higher than the same period in 2020.
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Claims for eviction for other reasons by private landlords also increased, totalling 6,316 claims in the first quarter of 2022 – up by 11 per cent on the same period in 2020.
Section 21 no-fault eviction notices mean that landlords do not have to give a reason for the eviction and renters have just eight weeks’ notice. Most renters move out before end of this notice period to avoid the eviction claim going to court. As long as the landlord has served a valid notice, the court claim goes through an accelerated procedure where a hearing is not required, and landlords can quickly take possession of their property.
The government first committed to scrap this form of eviction in April 2019. Since then, nearly 230,000 private renters in England have been served with a formal no-fault eviction notice, according to recent research by Shelter. This equates to one renter every seven minutes.
Shelter is calling on the government to urgently bring forward legislation that will scrap Section 21 no-fault evictions to give renters greater security in their homes during a time of uncertainty.
Polly Neate, Chief Executive of Shelter, said: “It’s alarming that as the living cost crisis rages more landlords are kicking tenants out of their homes. These are real people whose lives are being turned upside down and simply cannot afford to lose their homes right now.
“Every day our emergency helpline supports renters who are scrambling around trying to find another home after being slapped with a no-fault eviction. But soaring living costs mean many are struggling to stump up the cash for a house move they don’t want to make.
“While scrapping Section 21 evictions alone won’t solve the cost-of-living crisis for renters, it will at least give them some much needed security in their homes. The government promised renters three times that it will introduce a Renters’ Reform Bill to scrap unfair Section 21 no-fault evictions. Now, it must get the job done as every minute wasted puts another renter at risk.”.
Anyone who is worried about losing their home can contact Shelter for free and expert advice here.
* Read Mortgage and Landlord Possession statistics: January to March 2022 here.
* Source: Shelter