Landlords will continue with ‘no fault’ evictions even after Section 21 evictions are banned if renters’ rights are not strengthened, charity warns.
Citizens Advice helped almost 2,000 people with Section 21 issues in May, the most in a single month on record and a 25% increase since May 2022.
The Renters Reform Bill promises to ban Section 21 evictions but the charity says ‘unscrupulous landlords’ will unfairly force tenants out on other grounds.
Landlords are allowed to evict tenants just six months into a tenancy if they wish to sell a property or move family in.
However, Citizens Advice warns that because landlords are not required to provide evidence that they have sold up or moved family in, they might re-let the property.
The charity also warns excessive rent increases might be used to evict tenants.
Matthew Upton, Acting Executive Director of Policy and Advocacy at of Citizens Advice, said: ‘Reforms to the private rental sector are welcome but they’re open to abuse from unscrupulous landlords. The Government must ensure reforms are watertight and not include loopholes which allow Section 21 evictions to continue by the backdoor.’
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