Households threatened with homelessness 80,000 times since pledge to scrap Section 21 evictions

At the time, then-prime minister Theresa May said private landlords “will no longer be able to unexpectedly evict families with only eight weeks’ notice”. The government then recommitted to this promise in its 2019 general election manifesto.

According to Homeless Link, the number of Section 21 evictions leading to households being threatened with homelessness peaked between April and June 2023, at 6,830. This is a 37% increase on the same period in 2019 and a 330% increase on the same period in 2020, when the government put restrictions on evictions due to the pandemic.

In 2023, the government introduced the Renters (Reform) Bill to parliament to end Section 21 evictions. In February, housing secretary Michael Gove promised Section 21 would be banned by the next general election, which must take place by the end of January 2025.

However, an April letter to Conservative MPs from levelling-up minister Jacob Young revealed several planned amendments to the bill. One proposed amendment is that the Lord Chancellor will need to publish an assessment on the readiness of the courts before a Section 21 ban is enacted. Campaigners argued this provision effectively kicked a Section 21 ban into the long grass.

Rick Henderson, chief executive of Homeless Link, said: “It is clearly not right that someone can be evicted from their home for no reason with just two months’ notice. The government identified this in 2019, but its inaction has led to tens of thousands of households unnecessarily facing homelessness.”

Mr Henderson said the reported watering down of the Renters (Reform) Bill “will be devastating for renters and local authorities across the country”.

He added: “The government proved in the pandemic that it can take decisive action on this issue. It must now stand up to its backbenchers and pass the Renters (Reform) Bill without the leaked amendments, fulfilling its now five-year-old promise.”

A spokesperson for the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities said: “We are committed to delivering our landmark Renters (Reform) Bill that will provide a fairer private rented sector for both tenants and landlords.

“The bill will abolish Section 21 evictions – giving people more security in their homes and empowering them to challenge poor practices.”

Towards the end of last year, the boss of Capital Letters took a look at what the alternatives to Section 21 might be.