A charity has urged the Government to scrap no-fault evictions after finding a private renter is served one every seven seconds.
Research by Shelter found nearly 230,000 private renters in England have been served with a formal no-fault eviction notice since the Government pledged to scrap them in April 2019.
The research shows a quarter of all private renters have had three or more private rented homes in the last five years, while this figure is one in five for renting families with children.
The charity is calling on the Government to deliver a Renters’ Reform Bill in the Queen’s Speech next month.
Polly Neate, chief executive of Shelter, said: '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.'
The National Residential Landlords Association have accused Shelter of 'scaremongering'.
'Official data shows that fewer than 10% of tenants who move do so because they are asked to by their landlord or letting agent,' said Ben Beadle, chief executive of the National Residential Landlords Association. 'Likewise, the number of cases coming to court as a result of Section 21 notices has been falling since 2015.
'The Government has committed to abolishing Section 21 possessions, but this has got to be replaced by a system that is both fair and workable for both tenants and landlords. Simply getting rid of Section 21 on its own would, for example, make it all but impossible to take action against anti-social tenants who blight the lives of neighbours and fellow tenants.'
