Accumulating support from thirty outstanding charities and non-profit outfits, an earnest plea has been delivered to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. The ongoing appeal seeks his support to expedite the initiation of a legislative ban on ‘no-fault’ evictions.
The Renters Reform Bill, if enacted, will eradicate the privilege of landlords in England to casually evict tenants without valid grounds and a mere two months of notice. These organizations are delineating their profound anxiety about the sluggish pace of the bill’s progress into becoming a law.
The state has conveyed that they would hasten the bill’s headway through parliament “shortly”. Prior to the 2019 general election, Conservatives espoused promising rhetoric of “a better deal for renters” – inclusive of a prohibition on no-fault evictions.
Come May, the Renters Reform Bill found its place in the parliament, holding within it this very proposition. However, its return for the subsequent parliamentary phase is still pending. Anticipations of the upcoming election next year have certainly augmented concerns about the bill’s successful passage through parliament.
To understand this situation, it’s important to note what constitutes a no-fault eviction. Existing housing laws under the provision ‘Section 21’, grant landlords the right to evacuate tenants without justification. On receipt of a Section 21 notice, tenants are met with a stringent deadline of two months prior to landlords filing for court-issued eviction orders.
This plea, orchestrated under the aegis of Shelter, a housing charity, sources its intensity from a survey of 1900 renters in England, projecting a grim reality of renters being dislodged every three minutes by the no-fault rule. The plea vocalizes deep concern over the delayed progress of the Renters Reform Bill, stressing its aftermath – inevitable hardship and increased taxpayer costs.
The urgency of eliminating no-fault evictions forms the critical core of their appeal to the government, cautioning that anxious renters simply “cannot wait any longer”. The joint plea implores the government to fulfill its promise to the Renters Reform Bill this parliamentary term.
Prominent signatories to the plea comprise of diverse and prestigious organizations such as Child Poverty Action Group, Citizens Advice, Liberty, the Centre for Mental Health, and Disability Rights UK.
An official from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities expounded upon their commitment to fostering a just private rent sector, through the Renters Reform Bill, ensuring tenants more stability. They further communicated their intent to trim down the rate of non-decent rented homes by 50% by 2030, concurrently introducing the Decent Homes Standard to the private rented sector for the first time ever.
