The number of repossession cases in the courts involving landlords using ‘no explanation’ notices has decreased over the past two years, Government data reveals.
An analysis of Government data shows that in the third quarter of this year, the number of cases brought to county courts in England and Wales after a Section 21 notice was issued fell by 55% compared to the same quarter in 2019.
The National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA), which carried out the analysis, said that this fall is not merely a result of the temporary ban on repossessions in response to COVID-19.
Even before the pandemic, between 2015 and 2019, the number of repossession cases brought after a landlord had served a Section 21 notice fell by 50%.
Commenting on the statistics, Ben Beadle, chief executive of the NRLA, said: ‘These figures dispel the myth, peddled by some, that landlords spend much of their time looking for ways to evict tenants for no reason.
‘Whilst we condemn any landlord who abuses the system, it is vital to remember that the vast majority of tenants and landlords enjoy a good relationship. It is in that spirit that the Government should develop its plans for a system to replace Section 21 in its forthcoming White Paper on rental reform.’
The campaign group Generation Rent reported in September that since the Government pledged to abolish Section 21 evictions in April 2019, 44,040 households have approached their local council for help due to their landlord selling up, re-letting or evicting following a complaint by the tenant.
