No-fault evictions by bailiffs up 8% in Labour's first year in Government
Shelter branded it 'unconscionable' that renters 'continue to be marched out of their homes by bailiffs' a year after Labour came to power.
There were 11,402 repossessions by county court bailiffs following a Section 21 notice – known as a no-fault eviction – between July last year and June, according to data published by the Ministry of Justice.
This was up 8% from 10,576 for the previous 12-month period.
There were 2,679 in the three months to June, which was down from 2,931 the previous quarter and down from 2,915 for the same April to June period last year.
The latest Government data also showed 30,729 claims had been issued to households under the accelerated procedure in the year to June.
Landlords can apply for an accelerated possession order if the tenants have not left by the date specified in a Section 21 notice.
The current figure was down 4% from 32,103 for the previous 12-month period.
Mairi MacRae, director of campaigns and policy at Shelter, said: 'It is unconscionable that more than a year after the Government came to power, thousands of renters continue to be marched out of their homes by bailiffs because of an unfair policy that the Government said would be scrapped immediately.
'For far too long, tenants' lives have been thrown into turmoil by the rank injustice of no-fault evictions. At the whim of private landlords, thousands of tenants are being left with just two months to find a new home, plunging them into a ruthless rental market and leaving many exposed to the riptide of homelessness.
'The Renters' Rights Bill will overhaul a broken system and usher in a long-overdue era of stability and security for tenants. To curb record homelessness and ensure renters can live free from the threat of no-fault eviction, the Government must deliver on this commitment, pass the Bill, and name an implementation date when Section 21 will finally be scrapped.'
Shelter described no-fault evictions as one of the leading causes of homelessness, giving landlords the power to evict tenants without any reason given.
The charity said its analysis of the latest figures suggested that for every month a ban on no-fault evictions is delayed, around 950 households could be removed from their homes by bailiffs.
Echoing the call for an urgent ban, homelessness charity Crisis said many are at risk of homelessness if faced with eviction.
The charity's chief executive, Matt Downie, said: 'Despite good intentions from the Westminster Government, thousands of people are still being unjustly evicted from their homes and threatened with – or even forced into – homelessness.
'We know the UK Government has had a packed agenda, but we now need ministers to rebuff efforts to weaken the Renters' Rights Bill and get this new legislation onto the statute book as soon as possible when Parliament returns. Unfreezing housing benefit in the autumn would also ensure that more people in England can afford a safe and stable home.'
The Renters' Reform Coalition, said the year-on-year fall in accelerated procedure claims 'blows apart the myth of a 'landlord exodus' and eviction surge caused by the Renters' Rights Bill' and urged the Government to 'press on and abolish section 21 immediately once the Bill is passed'.
The new data comes a week after Rushanara Ali resigned her role as homelessness minister following a report that she gave tenants at a property she owned in east London four months' notice to leave before relisting the property with a £700 rent increase within weeks.
Ms Ali's house, rented on a fixed-term contract, was put up for sale while the tenants were living there, and it was only relisted as a rental because it had not sold, according to the i newspaper.
Such a move would likely be prohibited under the Renters' Rights Bill, which is set to introduce new protections for tenants including banning landlords who evict tenants in order to sell their property from relisting it for rent for six months.
In her resignation letter Ms Ali insisted she had 'at all times' followed 'all legal requirements' and taken her responsibilities 'seriously', but added that continuing in her role would be 'a distraction from the ambitious work of the Government' and therefore was stepping down.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Herald Scotland
2 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
Scottish Government urged to back RAAC homeowners' campaign
Now, Ms McAllan has agreed to meet with representatives of the UK RAAC Campaign Group. Dozens of affected properties have been identified in Clackmannanshire. (Image: Scott Barron) In a letter to the group's chair, Wilson Chowdhry, she wrote: 'I am planning to meet directly with affected homeowners, in areas with the highest number of privately owned RAAC-affected properties; to listen to their concerns and explore potential solutions. It is my intention that invitations to attend these meetings will be issued to residents, local campaign groups and elected representatives. 'My officials will shortly take forward work making the relevant arrangements - which will include arranging meetings with affected homeowners in Clackmannanshire and West Lothian Council areas. 'Noting your reference to these areas, I will ask my officials to inform you when dates for these respective meetings have been agreed and to liaise with you on a separate meeting with you, as representative of the UK RAAC Campaign Group, as part of a wider engagement process.' Speaking to The Herald, Mr Chowdhry said he was 'relieved' to finally receive a response from the Secretary, although he expressed "frustration" at the lengthy delay. He said: 'Families have been living in financial and emotional freefall for months, and every day of delay has deepened their hardship. I can only hope that the legislative changes I have submitted—including restoring first-time buyer status, ensuring capital-only repayments without interest for any outstanding mortgages on homes lost through no-fault safety concerns, and reforming the Homebuyer Report framework—will be seriously considered when delivered to the UK Government. Mr Chowdhry's daughter Hannah saw her Aberdeen home plunge in value, after she was informed that contained the crumbing concrete. This spurred the veteran campaigner to meet the crisis head on. Aberdeen City Council has announced plans to demolish the homes. (Image: Getty) He added: 'Legal reforms could also prevent future crises by placing a legal burden on developers and contractors to rectify safety defects in buildings they profited from, rather than leaving ordinary people to carry the cost.' 'I welcome the recognition of the work of the UK RAAC Campaign Group, and while the Housing Minister has offered us a private meeting, the First Minister must also attend. We will not simply be discussing the human impact of this debacle—which the Government should already be acutely aware of—but will be delving deep into concrete solutions. 'The First Minister has already expressed openness to such an engagement, and the reality is that these decisions must be taken at the very top of government.' Ms McAllan was criticised in July after the Press and Journal revealed she had yet to respond to a letter sent by Aberdeen City Council appealing for urgent aid from the Scottish Government, a month after it had been sent. Commenting at the time, North East MSP Liam Kerr said: 'Getting a fair deal for the people of Balnagask should be top of the agenda for the new housing minister. "It took a massive effort to get the SNP to focus on the plight of Scotland's RAAC victims. "In Aberdeen there is a golden opportunity to use a pot of money that is more than likely going to disappear, very soon.' A decade-long City Region Deal reached in 2016 is set to expire next year, with £20m yet to be spent. Campaigners have urged the government to release the funding before it expires. The RAAC campaign has also received support from Scottish Labour. Alloa and Grangemouth MP Brian Leishman plans to lodge a formal written petition to Parliament in September, calling on the government to provide support for affected communties. Read more: 'We hold the cards': residents hit out at 'measly' council RAAC payments Aberdeen City Council recommends demolition and rebuild of dangerous RAAC homes Aberdeen RAAC residents take their case direct to First Minister John Swinney A Scottish Government spokesperson confirmed Ms McAllan's plans to meet with campaigners. They said: 'We recognise this is a worrying time for homeowners affected by RAAC. The Scottish Government takes RAAC very seriously and we have established regular meetings with public and private sector bodies to ensure best practice is shared across sectors impacted by RAAC. The Cabinet Secretary looks forward to meeting with campaigners, including homeowners, to discuss their concerns. 'We have repeatedly called on the UK Government to make available a dedicated RAAC remediation fund but they have failed to do so. 'We are continuing to work with local authorities across Scotland as they respond to the impact of RAAC in their areas and we expect all social landlords to be engaging with their tenants and developing plans to remediate RAAC in their homes. The Scottish Government remains closely engaged in this work.'
The Herald Scotland
2 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
MP resigns as trade envoy over northern Cyprus visit
Mr Khan said the trip to the self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, which is not recognised by the UK Government, was to visit his nephew and to receive an honorary degree. He said he had paid for the trip himself. Turkish troops have occupied the northern section of the Mediterranean island since 1974. Shadow foreign minister Wendy Morton told the BBC that she welcomed Mr Khan's resignation, but said Sir Keir Starmer should have sacked him earlier.
Powys County Times
2 hours ago
- Powys County Times
MP resigns as trade envoy over northern Cyprus visit
A Labour MP has resigned as the UK's trade envoy to Turkey amid controversy over a visit to Turkish-occupied northern Cyprus. A government spokesman told the BBC Afzal Khan, who represents Manchester Rusholme, had stepped down from his position on Friday. Mr Khan said the trip to the self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, which is not recognised by the UK Government, was to visit his nephew and to receive an honorary degree. He said he had paid for the trip himself. Turkish troops have occupied the northern section of the Mediterranean island since 1974.
