Labour's war on landlords triggers record wave of evictions

Yahoo

14-02-2025

Eviction claims by private landlords have reached a record high as owners race to reclaim their properties ahead of Labour's rental reforms.
The Government aims to ban 'no-fault' evictions next year as part of its Renters' Rights Bill, which will also make it harder for landlords to increase rents.
The move has sparked panic among property investors, with the number of possession claims by private landlords surpassing 30,000 for the first time ever in 2024.
The data, from HM Courts & Tribunals Service, also shows that during Labour's first three months in power, the number of claims by private landlords hit 7,781 – their highest quarterly total since records began in 2009.
The Renters' Rights Bill, which is being spearheaded by housing secretary, Angela Rayner, is set to become law by this summer. It was designed in response to the Conservative government's Renters Reform Bill which did not pass into law before Parliament was dissolved.
Both pieces of legislature sought to ban so-called 'no-fault' evictions which aim to make it harder for landlords to take their properties back from tenants.
The number of successful 'no-fault' evictions soared 20.3pc in England between 2023 and 2024 to their highest tally since 2017.
Landlords can apply for a possession order if the tenant has broken the terms of the rental agreement. This could be the result of excessive arrears, causing damage to the property or engaging in anti-social behaviour.
Most successful actions in court used to result in a suspended order, where the judge rules the tenant can remain under certain conditions.
But outright orders – which impose a date when the home must be vacated, usually between 2 weeks and a month of the hearing – have surged. They have become more common every year from 2006 onwards, and since the pandemic, they make up roughly eight in 10 of all orders.
58,932 were issued by county courts in Britain in 2024, the highest annual total since 2017.
Only when such orders aren't respected can private landlords apply for bailiffs to evict the tenant. This occurred 9,012 times in England last year – more than any other year going back to 2000.
Again, the surge came just after Sir Keir Starmer entered Number 10. The 2,373 evictions between July and September 2024 topped any other quarter on record.
But landlords also currently have recourse to Section 21 of the Housing Act 1988, which allows them to push for an earlier move-out date without having to supply a reason.
When such notices are valid and the date isn't respected, they can apply for accelerated possession orders which can see forced eviction through much quicker.
English courts received 32,287 accelerated procedure claims by landlords in 2024, more than during any other year since 2016. These resulted in 11,373 evictions.
Average asking rents hit £1,369 in England by the end of 2024 – having risen by an all-time record high 9.3pc over the year to November, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
But in the capital, just under a year since they crossed £2,000 for the first time, the equivalent increase was 11.6pc, pushing the average to £2,220.
Of the top 10 local authorities where the rate of private landlord possession claims were highest, seven were in London. Waltham Forrest led the way with 762 per 100,000 households.
Asking rents in the borough of Brent soared 26.9pc last year, more than anywhere else in the country. The rate of claims there (225 per 100,000) was almost double the average across all councils (120).
A Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government spokesman said: 'We are transforming a housing system, which has left millions of renters trapped under the constant fear of a Section 21 eviction coming through the door.
'Our Renters' Rights Bill will soon become law, putting an end to no-fault evictions, giving tenants greater security in their homes whilst empowering them to rightfully challenge unfair rent hikes and poor conditions.'
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