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Almost a quarter of a million renters at risk of eviction when ban lifts, says Shelter
More than 225,000 private renters are at risk of being evicted due to rent arrears when possession proceedings resume in the courts next month, new research by Shelter has found.
A poll carried out by YouGov on behalf of the homelessness charity found that an estimated 227,000 adult private renters (3%) have fallen into arrears since the coronavirus lockdown began.
According to the survey, this puts the total number of private renters in arrears at 442,000 (5%), which is double what it was in the same period last year.
The poll was based on the responses of 1,058 private renters in England, estimates were then calculated based on the total number of private renters in the UK.
It comes days after the government confirmed that it would not be extending the COVID-19 ban on evictions past the 23 August deadline.
Under the current legal system, if a tenants has accrued at least eight weeks of arrears during the crisis, they can be automatically evicted using Ground 8 of Section 8 when the ban lifts.
All tenants on assured shorthold tenancies are at risk of eviction if the fixed-term tenancy period in their contract has ended.
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Shelter’s poll found that roughly 174,000 private tenants have already been threatened with eviction by their landlord or letting agent during the COVID-19 crisis.
The research also revealed the impact the threat of eviction has had on the mental of health of some renters, as nearly a third of respondents said they felt depressed or anxious about their housing situation.
The government has previously said it is considering introducing a ‘pre-action protocol’ that would require landlords to negotiate with tenants before beginning court proceedings against them.
However, Shelter has argued that such a move would be meaningless unless legislative changes are introduced to give judges more power when deciding whether to grant an eviction.
The charity is calling on the government to amend Section 21 so that judges are not forced to automatically grant possession orders to temporarily disapply Ground 8.
It is urging the government to introduce these changes before parliament enters summer recess in 10 sitting days, as MPs will not return until after the ban is lifted.
These demands have been broadly echoed by much of the housing sector – including the Chartered Institute of Housing, Crisis and the Law Centres Network – due to fears that the current system will lead to a spike in homelessness when the ban is lifted.
Polly Neate, chief executive of Shelter, said: “The housing secretary promised that no one would lose their home because of coronavirus. But the financial chaos of COVID-19 means that many private renters are in danger of being evicted when the current ban lifts. Unless he acts now, he will break his promise and put thousands of renters at risk of homelessness.
“We know people have been doing whatever they can to pay their rent and keep their home safe. Despite this, the minute the evictions ban lifts, the 230,000 already behind with their rent could be up for automatic eviction if they’ve built up eight weeks worth of arrears. And judges will be powerless to help them. That’s more than the entire population of Portsmouth at risk of losing their homes. And let’s not forget: this pandemic is not over.
“The Housing secretary can still avert this disaster. He can prevent these ‘COVID evictions’ as the pandemic continues and keep families safe in their homes. All he and the government need to do – in the 10 sitting days before parliament breaks for the summer – is make some small changes to the law. These changes would give judges the power to ensure that no renter is automatically evicted and that the impact of coronavirus is always considered.”
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has been approached for comment.
An MHCLG spokesperson said: “The government has taken unprecedented action to support renters during the pandemic and prevent people from getting into financial hardship. We have introduced the furlough scheme to protect jobs, provided over £6.5 billion to strengthen the welfare safety-net, and introduced higher Local Housing Allowance rates to cover the lowest 30% of market rents.
“We have also provided protections to renters that have meant no-one has been forced from their home as a result of the pandemic. We’re working with the judiciary to provide appropriate protection to those who have been particularly affected by coronavirus when proceedings start again.”
