Section 21 notice handed out every seven minutes

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27 April 2022

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Section 21 notice handed out every seven minutes - claim

Campaigning charity Shelter claims that a private renter in England is handed a Section 21 eviction every seven minutes.

In a new statement on the issue, the charity claims almost 230,000 private tenants have been served with a S21 since the government first committed to scrap this form of eviction in April 2019.

It adds that this is despite an eviction ban being in place for 14 months of this three-year period due to the pandemic.

Shelter cites new figures from the charity’s YouGov poll reveal a quarter of all private renters have had three or more private rented homes in the last five years.

The figure for renting families with children is one in five.

“Based on these findings and what it sees in its frontline services, Shelter is concerned about the destabilising impact on children of constantly having to move” the charity states.

It goes on to claim that losing a private tenancy is the second biggest cause of homelessness in England, while the growing cost of living crisis “could push even more private renters to the brink.”

In the Queen’s Speech next month, Shelter says the government should honour its pledge to deliver a Renters’ Reform Bill this year to make private renting fairer and safer for all.

“The bill must include banning Section 21 no-fault evictions to give renters greater security in their homes” Shelter demands.

The charity’s chief executive Polly Neate states: “It’s appalling that every seven minutes another private renter is slapped with a no-fault eviction notice despite the government promising to scrap these grossly unfair evictions three years ago. It’s no wonder many renters feel forgotten.

“Millions of private renters are living in limbo – never truly able to settle - in case their landlord kicks them out on a whim. It’s a well-founded fear as our frontline services support renters all the time who are scrambling to find a home after being told to up sticks with just two months’ notice.

“With inflation and bills skyrocketing, renters desperately need a secure home as many will struggle to stump up the costs of having to move unexpectedly. To give private renters stability during a time of deep uncertainty, the government must introduce a Renters’ Reform Bill that bans no-fault evictions this year. Anything less would be a kick in the teeth for England’s 11 million private renters.”

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