Shelter hits out over rising tenant eviction numbers

Shelter hits out over rising tenant eviction numbers

9:29 AM, 9th February 2024, About 10 months ago 18

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The housing charity Shelter has condemned the government for ‘bowing to vested interests’ and delaying the implementation of the Renters (Reform) Bill, which would ban section 21 ‘no-fault’ evictions.

It points to Ministry of Justice figures revealing that 9,457 households were evicted by bailiffs in 2023, a 49% increase from 2022.

Also, 30,230 landlords started Section 21 eviction proceedings in 2023, a 28% rise in one year.

‘Renters are marched out of their homes in their thousands’

Shelter’s chief executive, Polly Neate, said: “It’s utterly shameful that the government is bowing to vested interests while renters are marched out of their homes in their thousands.

“How much longer are renters expected to live with the threat of unjust no-fault evictions hanging over them?”

She added: “When plans for the Renters (Reform) Bill were first drawn up, they promised renters an escape from an insecure and unjust system that left them in constant fear of losing their homes.

“But, without serious amends, this Bill won’t be worth the paper it’s written on.”

‘The government must grasp the nettle’

Ms Neate continued: “There’s still time and opportunity to deliver a Bill that makes renting safer, fairer and more secure, but the government must grasp the nettle and oppose attempts to water down the Bill from inside its own ranks.

“When they head for the ballot box, England’s 11 million renters will remember who stood with them.”

She says that despite promising to end no-fault evictions in 2019, the government has failed to protect thousands of renters from losing their homes.

Ms Neate adds that 26,311 households in England have been evicted by court bailiffs using Section 21 since the government announced its intention to scrap it.

Many renters struggle to find a new home

Shelter says that Section 21 evictions are a ‘major cause of homelessness’ as many renters struggle to find a new home in time and face the risk of sleeping on the streets.

It also says that the Bill was published in May 2023, but the government has said it will only introduce it after unspecified court reforms take place.

The charity is now calling on the government to honour its promise to renters and bring forward the Renters (Reform) Bill as soon as possible, without any dilution or delay.

It is also urging the public to sign its petition and join its campaign to end no-fault evictions for good.


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Stella

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19:55 PM, 9th February 2024, About 10 months ago

Reply to the comment left by Martin Roberts at 09/02/2024 - 17:44
I will never understand why companies like marks & Spencer, Cooperative Bank, Nationwide and others blindly support them. If they really did their homework they would see what is happening and support real charities that do their best to help homeless people with only a small fraction of the funds that Shelter have at their disposal.

Reluctant Landlord

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21:43 PM, 9th February 2024, About 10 months ago

Reply to the comment left by Stella at 09/02/2024 - 19:55
tax loop. Great PR. brown envelopes/'networking'. M&S customers think they are being moral helping those less fortunate etc...failing to see they are funding those on the take and actually housing no-one at all....

Desmond

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12:36 PM, 10th February 2024, About 9 months ago

It is clear now the FCA or somebody needs to step in and protect people from being mis sold investments in property, in view of this rhetoric and political opposition to non-public-sector providers. The PRS is the crack cocaine of investments - this will be the next PPI scandal, which will only squeeze supply further as lenders are hit with class actions.

Michael Booth

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12:55 PM, 10th February 2024, About 9 months ago

What do you expect SHELTER, we are not a charity , again you reap what you sew, 250 thousand properties have left the prs sector and many more set to leave me included after 25 years 15 families homeless has a direct result of you lot and government.

PH

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13:32 PM, 10th February 2024, About 9 months ago

It's ok for charities to preach about S21's but they are in a position to do so as they don't have any money invested in rental properties unlike everyone on here. I'm sure their attitude would be polar opposite if they would only put some of their millions into housing the homeless but everyone knows that isn't going to happen.

Anthony Endsor

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15:42 PM, 11th February 2024, About 9 months ago

What an absolute joke this article is! 'Renters are marched out of their homes in their thousands'?
What an utterly absurd and defamatory comment. Firstly, any tenants that are 'marched out of their homes' will most likely have been through a lengthy court process, many of them with rent arrears, anti social behaviour, etc, and put their landlords through hell in order to get their property back.
I am quite sure Shelter know exactly why landlords are selling up, they just want to use the fact that this is happening now to justify their case for section 21 to be removed, probably knowing full well it won't happen in this parliament, so hoping they can use this as a persuasion tool for people to vote Labour and make it happen in the next parliament.
All a load of political rhetoric which probably won't make a lot of difference overall to either the election result or the bill itself, but will enable them to be up the backsides of the future Labour government.

rebecca anelay

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19:00 PM, 11th February 2024, About 9 months ago

Reply to the comment left by Desmond at 10/02/2024 - 12:36
Very interesting point!!!

Fed Up Landlord

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23:08 PM, 13th February 2024, About 9 months ago

Political grandstanding at it's worst from Polly Bleat and the Shelter Shower of Lefty Loonys and the class war rhetoric. The more she bleats the less tenants eat as a result of her whingeing. She is the biggest cause of landlords selling up reducing supply and putting rents up. She is a disgrace.

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