Courts need more cash to help prevent tenant eviction – Law Society

Courts need more cash to help prevent tenant eviction – Law Society

0:04 AM, 18th November 2024, About a month ago 26

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The Law Society of England and Wales has issued an urgent call for increased funding for legal aid to support renters at risk of eviction.

The plea comes as new figures from the Ministry of Justice reveal a significant surge in possession orders.

Mortgage possession orders have rocketed by 38%, from 2,923 to 4,038, compared to the same period in 2023.

Similarly, landlord possession orders have increased by 7%, from 17,987 to 19,254.

The society says that these statistics indicate that nearly 25,000 people could face eviction.

As the housing crisis intensifies, the Law Society is urging the government to invest in the courts system to help deliver much-needed ‘rental market reforms’.

‘Urgent need for rental reform’

Law Society president, Richard Atkinson, said: “The rising number of eviction orders reflects the alarming state of our housing crisis and the urgent need for rental reform.

“The cost-of-living crisis has meant that renters are increasingly at risk of losing their homes.

“When faced with repossession, renters should be entitled to legal representation and access to justice.”

He added: “However, an underfunded justice system has denied renters a fair chance in court due to lack of legal aid.”

Legal aid provider for housing advice

He goes on: “It is deeply concerning that 25.3m people (42%) do not have a local legal aid provider for housing advice.

“This means that there is no support for renters who cannot afford legal help.

“It is critical that the government invests in the legal aid system, so that renters have the help they need to avoid losing their homes.”

He adds: “While we welcome the government’s Renters’ Rights Bill, it will struggle to achieve effective rental reform without funding the justice system and legal aid.

“The government must immediately invest £4.3 million in housing legal aid alongside the Bill to close this gap in provision.

“Labour must recognise that only a well-funded justice system can protect renters’ rights.”


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Blodwyn

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15:37 PM, 18th November 2024, About a month ago

Reply to the comment left by Vibha Spal at 18/11/2024 - 15:06
Rubbish, don't blame the judges for the governments' (successive ones) for badly drafted laws!
The law Soc has no place in legislation.

Cider Drinker

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16:35 PM, 18th November 2024, About a month ago

If tenants can’t be evicted, what hope is there for those stuck in temporary accommodation?

The choice is simple. A landlord can house someone of their choosing or they can house someone not of their choosing.

It makes little, if any, difference to the homelessness figures.

I’m sure those in temporary accommodation ought to campaign for faster, easier evictions. It would help sort the wheat from the chaff and ensure the best people are housed ahead of the others.

TheMaluka

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16:46 PM, 18th November 2024, About a month ago

Reply to the comment left by Cider Drinker at 18/11/2024 - 16:35
I totally agree, the present and to a greater extent the proposed rules keep the rogues in place at the expense of decent tenants. Never again will I house a tenant who is likely to be in a position to claim legal aid.

Old Mrs Landlord

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18:15 PM, 18th November 2024, About a month ago

Reply to the comment left by NewYorkie at 18/11/2024 - 12:51Once the Renters Rights Bill comes into force some of the grounds of Section 8 will be discretionary, including the landlord desiring to sell the property. It is designed to keep undesirable tenants in place at landlords' expense, leaving nowhere for decent tenants who can afford the rent to move into. Quick route to bankruptcy for some unlucky landlords.

Mick Roberts

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5:22 AM, 19th November 2024, About a month ago

Reply to the comment left by Cider Drinker at 18/11/2024 - 16:35
I've said this, one of me tenants did a video on it:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/EVzpc2Gov4A6CYZm6

NewYorkie

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8:12 AM, 19th November 2024, About a month ago

Reply to the comment left by Old Mrs Landlord at 18/11/2024 - 18:15
My comment was deliberately naive. When I finally got to court after 15 months, my tenant had phoned the court claiming he was unwell and the judge postponed it. I'd driven 200 miles and he lived 15 minutes away! At the next hearing, the tenant simply didn't bother to turn up, and once the judge had reviewed the case, he was furious. I'd gone solely on Ground 8 - 6 months arrears, but my lawyer quickly slipped in the ASB and the fact the tenant had used a neighbour's Wi-Fi to download child pornography, in his summary.

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