Housing Secretary Steve Reed says issuing no-fault evictions in the final weeks before the Renters’ Rights Act comes into force is “disgraceful behaviour”.
14th Apr 20264 1,091 1 minute read Simon Cairnes
Housing Secretary Steve Reed has criticised landlords issuing no-fault evictions in the final weeks before the Renters’ Rights Act comes into force.
He described the practice as “disgraceful behaviour” that undermines incoming protections for tenants.
“There is no need to evict tenants ahead of this ban,” he said, adding that “kicking tenants out before they receive stronger rights” is exactly the type of conduct the legislation is designed to prevent.
There is no need to evict tenants ahead of this ban.”
His comments to The Times come as tenant groups, including Acorn, claim there has been a last-minute surge in eviction notices as some landlords act before the May deadline.
One typical case seen by The Negotiator involved a prominent estate agency, where a Section 21 notice was served by the landlord via the agent. The tenant was told the landlord’s son would be moving in, only for the property to be subsequently re-advertised for rent.
The dispute has since escalated into multiple complaints to redress bodies, including the local authority and an MP, although a possession order was still granted by the court. While moving in a family member will become a valid reason for possession under the new Section 8 rules, these are not yet in force.
However, when they are, they will also prevent properties from being re-let for a 12-month period after those grounds are used.
Increasing pressureWith just weeks left, many letting agents may face increasing pressure from landlords to serve last-minute eviction notices on troublesome tenants or in order to re-let at a higher rent. They, however, risk reputational damage if cases are not handled sensitively and communications are not accurate
Tagssection 21 evictions 14th Apr 20264 1,091 1 minute read Simon Cairnes Share Facebook X LinkedIn Share via Email