In the five years since the announcement of the no-fault evictions ban, over 26,000 Section 21 notices have been issued. Concurrently, the social housing stock has plummeted, creating a complex housing crisis. This stark reality reveals the challenges tenants face despite protective measures, emphasizing the urgent need for housing reform in England.
English Renters Face Triple Crisis
Private renters in England faced a triple blow of distressing news, as official figures revealed a sharp increase in no-fault evictions, a net loss of over 16,000 homes for social rent, and a postponement of promised laws aimed at enhancing renters' security.
Surge in No-Fault Evictions
Analysis by the housing charity Shelter, based on new Ministry of Justice figures, disclosed a 39% rise in households evicted by bailiffs due to no-fault evictions in 2023 compared to 2022. Rent campaigners expressed concern over this worsening trend, describing it as a scourge impacting renters nationwide.
Social Housing Decline
The total number of households displaced under section 21 notices, allowing landlords to remove tenants without cause with just two months' notice, reached 26,000 since the government's announcement of a ban almost five years ago. Section 21 has been a significant contributor to homelessness.
Delayed Tenant Security Laws
Although a bill to outlaw no-fault evictions is progressing through parliament, its debate is now delayed until next month, as confirmed by Penny Mordaunt, the leader of the Commons. Meanwhile, an additional 30,230 landlords initiated no-fault eviction court proceedings in 2023, marking a 28% surge in just one year.
Polly Neate, the chief executive of Shelter, criticized the government for "bowing to vested interests" while renters face eviction on a large scale, highlighting the pressing need for comprehensive reforms to protect tenants in England.
Tenant Protections at Risk Amidst Rising Housing Challenges in England
Landlords within the parliamentary sphere have raised concerns about potential influence on the government, leading to a possible dilution of tenant protection reforms. This comes as one in five households in England now rents from a private landlord, doubling the number at the turn of the millennium.
The housing landscape in England faces another critical issue, with a net loss of over 16,000 social homes last year through sell-offs or demolition, as revealed by Crisis, a homelessness charity.
Official figures indicate that 25,749 social homes were sold or demolished, while merely 9,500 were built in the same period, resulting in a decade-long loss of over 180,000 social homes, typically available at rents significantly below market rates.
Amidst this crisis, 1.28 million households in England find themselves trapped on council waiting lists for a social home. Matt Downie, Crisis’s chief executive, expressed dismay, stating that the continuous decline in social homes robs over a million households on waiting lists of the chance for a secure home.
Shelter's chief executive, Polly Neate, advocates for the prompt delivery of the renters (reform) bill to ensure safer, fairer, and more secure renting conditions. However, concerns persist about potential attempts to weaken the bill from within the government.
As England's 11 million renters approach the ballot box, there's a call to remember those who stood with them. Nevertheless, signs suggest a growing disillusionment among renters with electoral politics.
The likely turnout of non-homeowning millennials is expected to decrease by eight percentage points at the next general election, impacting both Labour and Conservative parties.
In response to the housing challenges, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities defends the renters (reform) bill, emphasizing its commitment to a fairer private rented sector. The bill aims to abolish section 21 evictions, providing enhanced security for tenants and empowering them to challenge poor practices.
The department also highlights the growth of the total social housing stock by 151,000 since 2010, in contrast to the preceding 13 years when it experienced a decline of 420,000.