Rise in no-fault evictions despite Labour's pledge to ban them
Labour said in its election manifesto it would abolish Section 21 eviction notices 'immediately' after winning the election. A year on, and the relevant legislation still progressing through parliament means that the ban is still not in effect.
According to Ministry of Justice figures released on Thursday, 11,400 households received no-fault evictions by bailiffs in the year to June.
The number of bailiff evictions is an eight per cent rise on the previous year, continuing a trend of a heightened use of the notices.
Housing charity Shelter said it is 'unconscionable' that renters 'continue to be marched out of their homes by bailiffs' a year after Labour's election victory.
It warned that nearly 1,000 households could be evicted from their homes by bailiffs every month until the ban on the notices is finally put in place.
Section 21 notices grant landlords the power to evict tenants from their properties at two months' notice without needing to give any reason. Former prime minister Theresa May first announced the Conservatives' intention to abolish Section 21 notices in April 2019.
Shelter described no-fault evictions as one of the leading causes of homelessness. Mairi MacRae, its director of campaigns and policy, 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 government's Renters' Rights Bill, sponsored by the Ministry of Housing, is currently in its final stages. It is expected to pass before the end of the year, or early 2026 at the latest.
Alongside abolishing Section 21 notices, it would give tenants a 12-month protected period at the beginning of their tenancy, alongside increasing the notice requirement for landlords to evict on other grounds from two to four months.
The bill would also provide protection against 'backdoor eviction', where tenants are effectively pushed out by above-market rent increases, by giving them greater powers to challenge them.
Housing charity Crisis has called on the government to bring forward the legislation and name a date when it will be implemented.
Matt Downie, chief executive at Crisis, 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.'
The new data comes after Labour MP Rushanara Ali recently resigned her role as homelessness minister following reports she gave tenants in a property she owned four months' notice to leave, before relisting the property with a £700 rent increase just weeks later.
Such a move would likely not be allowed 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.
A Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government spokesperson said: 'No one should live in fear of a Section 21 eviction and these new figures show exactly why we will abolish them through our Renters' Rights Bill, which is a manifesto commitment and legislative priority for this government.
'We're determined to level the playing field by providing tenants with greater security, rights and protections in their homes and our landmark reforms will be implemented swiftly after the bill becomes law.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
London councils will be ‘unable to provide basic services' after government funding shake-up, warn businesses
Government reforms to the way councils are funded could leave London's town halls hundreds of millions of pounds worse off, risking core services and undermining the capital's competitiveness, business leaders have warned. BusinessLDN – which represents more than 170 of the city's largest employers – urged ministers to ensure that the proposed Fair Funding Review takes into account the city's higher living costs and areas of deprivation. Analysis by umbrella group London Councils suggests boroughs will receive £700 million less than they would under current funding arrangements if the reforms go ahead. BusinessLDN said the capital's councils had already seen spending power 'squeezed significantly' since 2010. For example, Camden Council has experienced a 13% fall in real terms over that period, despite increasing council tax. In a letter to Local Government Minister Jim McMahon, Chief Executive of Business LDN John Dickie warned that under the latest funding formula proposals, other inner London town halls could see further cuts of 11–12% in real terms over the next three years, even if they raise council tax to the maximum level permitted level. 'It would be deeply concerning if local authorities in the city were left without the resources they need to provide the basic services that their residents and businesses rely upon,' Mr Dickie said. 'This would undermine the perception of London as an attractive place to live, work and invest – and in turn, jeopardise the Government's growth mission and the ambition for the UK to be the most rapidly growing country in the G7. 'We urge you to ensure that the Fair Funding Review 2.0 takes these factors into account and delivers a reformed system that works for London and the whole UK.' He highlighted rising pressures on social care, special educational needs, and homelessness, alongside London housing costs that are among the highest in the country. Despite the capital's relatively high average incomes, one in four households lives in poverty once housing costs are considered, Mr Dickie added. BusinessLDN said cuts to services such as planning, environmental management and street cleaning could damage the city's ability to attract investment. The government has said it wants to 'strengthen and simplify' town hall budgets and bring 'an end to wasteful, competitive bidding for funding pots and move towards multi-year financial settlements that give local leaders the certainty and stability they need to plan for the future'. But London Councils has challenged the plans. The group is 'gravely concerned' about what it describes as unevidenced proposals that had not been properly road-tested. Claire Holland, the chair of London Councils, said: 'This would have major implications for our most vulnerable groups of residents: London has the highest rate of poverty in the country once housing costs are factored in, and one in 50 Londoners is homeless and living in temporary accommodation.'
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Committee postponed at short notice due to technical difficulties
A council committee has been cancelled at short notice due to technical difficulties. The Corporate and External Issues Scrutiny Committee was due to sit this evening, August 18, at 6pm. It had been due to discuss the work Bolton Council does in relation to the armed forces, including the topic of Constellation House in Kearsley, where veterans who live there were recently given eviction notices. However, the meeting has had to be cancelled due to technical difficulties which would prevent the live streaming of the meeting. It has been postponed to Thursday, September 4 at 6pm. Read more: Statements issued after armed forces veterans served eviction notices Read more: Town Hall chiefs to discuss veterans being issued eviction notices Cllr Anne Galloway, chair of the Corporate and External Issues Scrutiny Committee, said: "We have been suffering technical difficulties with the live streaming of the meeting, as we live stream all of the public council meetings. "As chair of the committee, I have decided to cancel the meeting, as we are discussing very important issues and we want to make sure it is open and transparent. "We want people to be able to watch a recording of the meeting, so it is not behind closed doors." A spokesperson for Bolton Council said: "Unfortunately, due to technical difficulties preventing the live streaming of the meeting of the Corporate and External Issues Scrutiny Committee scheduled to take place at 6pm today, August 18, the meeting has been postponed until 6pm on Thursday, September 4."
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Greater Manchester's rumoured winners and losers in £69bn deal
Greater Manchester's rumoured winners and losers in the government's next financial deal have been named. Manchester council could be a big winner under the government's new rules for how local authority funding is calculated, a report seen by the Local Democracy Reporting Service says. However, the SIGOMA study says Wigan, Rochdale, and Trafford councils are all set to receive a smaller increase in 'core spending power' than the England average. READ MORE: 'We think we're allowed to park on the pavement' READ MORE: Children 'having meltdowns' after families turned away from summer breaks at Haven holiday park To see planning applications; traffic and road diversions and layout changes; and more, visit the Public Notices Portal HERE Core spending power measures the amount of cash town halls can spend on day-to-day services like road maintenance, adult social care, and bin collections through government grants, business rates, and council tax. The research suggests Manchester's core spending power will rise by 25.64pc, double the projected England average of 12.8pc. But Rochdale could see a lower-than-average increase of 10.62pc, Wigan is set to receive a 9.98pc rise, and Trafford is in line for 7.94pc. Report author SIGOMA is a pressure group comprising urban area councils in the north, midlands, and south coast. It calculated the figures based on information released by the government under its 'Fair Funding 2.0 proposals', which are set to shake-up how local authorities are funded The government says no final decisions have been made on the proposals and councils' cash settlements this year, with official funding packages usually confirmed in December. However, a Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government spokesperson said reform of the system is due: 'No final decisions have been made and these figures should be treated with caution. 'We will consult again through the provisional Local Government Finance Settlement later this year. 'We have already made over £69bn available this year to boost council finances, including over £3.5bn for Greater Manchester, and we will go further to reform the funding system to make it fit for the future.' Wigan, Trafford, and Rochdale councils told the LDRS they would 'make representations' to the government's 'fair funding 2.0' consultation, which closed last Friday (August 15). Trafford council leader Tom Ross said: 'We have made no secret about the significant ongoing financial challenges Trafford has faced after suffering cuts to our funding of almost £300m over the last 15 years. 'These historic funding cuts, rising cost pressures and an increase in the need for services especially among children's and adult social care, compounded by several years of council tax freezes, have meant it is becoming harder to deliver what our residents and businesses need while balancing the books. 'We will be providing a detailed response to the consultation and will continue to work closely with the government and our local MPs to secure a fair deal for Trafford and our residents.' A Wigan council spokesperson said: 'We welcome the review of funding for local authorities and will be making representations as part of the ongoing consultation process, which we hope will result in fair distribution of funds based on the needs of communities – ensuring local authorities can continue to deliver vital services and support to those who need us most. 'Wigan borough faces many ongoing challenges – including high levels of deprivation and health inequalities within our neighbourhoods – which, together with our partners, we are committed to addressing in line with our Progress with Unity missions.' And a Rochdale council spokesperson added: 'No final decisions around our settlement for the next financial year have been made and, as always, we will make any representations through the appropriate channels. We will be responding to the Fair Funding Consultation this week, and providing feedback on the proposed funding allocation methodology.' Manchester council and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority declined to comment. SIGOMA's calculations: Area Increase in core spending power Manchester 25.64% Bolton 19.25% Bury 18.88% Oldham 18.88% Salford 14.99% Stockport 13.48% Tameside 13.31% England average 12.80% Rochdale 10.62% Wigan 9.98% Trafford 7.94%
