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No-fault eviction court proceedings hit seven-year high
No-fault eviction court proceedings have hit a seven-year high, according to the latest government figures.
Between July and September 2023, 8,399 English landlords started Section 21 court proceedings against their tenants, according to the latest Ministry of Justice data.
This represents a 38% increase in claims issued by landlords compared with the same period in 2022, where 6,092 landlords started Section 21 court proceedings.
It is the highest number of accelerated procedure claims in a quarter since Q2 in 2016, when there were 9,330 claims.
The new figures also showed that between July and September 2023, 2,307 households in the private rented sector were evicted from their homes by bailiffs because of Section 21 proceedings, the highest number in four-and-a-half years.
This is a 29% increase compared to the same period in 2022, when 1,792 households were evicted by bailiffs via Section 21.
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Section 21 evictions allow landlords to evict tenants with two months’ notice and no reason given.
The most recent homelessness statistics found that 24,260 households approached their council and were found to be threatened with homelessness due to receiving a valid section 21 notice in 2022-23, up by 23% on the previous year.
Homelessness charity Shelter urged the government to implement the Renters’ Reform Bill and scrap Section 21, a measure that has been promised since 2019.
The Renters’ Reform Bill was published in May 2023, but the legislation has been beset by delays. In October, the government announced that unspecified court reforms must be carried out before the ban on Section 21 is implemented, with no timeframe given.
Polly Neate, chief executive of Shelter, said: “It beggars belief that this government is prepared to use cynical tactics to delay the banning of no-fault evictions, while record numbers of renters are being removed from their homes without cause.
“Renters have waited four long years for the government to come good on scrapping Section 21, to make that now dependent on unspecified court reforms taking place is ludicrous. Renters shouldn’t have to live for one more day with the fear they can be evicted from their home for no reason, knowing that once that notice lands on their doormat, there is nothing they can do.
“With homelessness at record levels, there’s no excuse for putting the ban on unfair no fault evictions on ice. If the government plans to keep its promises to England’s 11 million private renters, it must give a clear timeline of when it will pass the bill and enforce the ban.”
In response, a government spokesperson said: “Our landmark Renters’ Reform Bill offers better protections for tenants and gives them greater security to challenge poor conditions in their homes. We are abolishing section 21 no-fault evictions, and the bill passing through parliament will see this happen.”
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