The BBC reports that Ministry of Justice data shows no-fault evictions in England between April and June this year increased by 41%, compared to the same period in 2022.
Extensive lobbying from landlords resulted in the government delaying a ban on scrapping no-fault evictions, meaning yet more hardship for those in the rented sector.
Earlier on in the week, we reported how Tory MPs, a quarter of whom are private landlords, hit back at Michael Gove’s plans to scrap section 21 notices, whereby landlords have the right to evict tenants for no reason with only two months’ notice.
The BBC reports that Ministry of Justice data shows no-fault evictions in England between April and June this year increased by 41%, compared to the same period in 2022.
Labour says its analysis shows another 30,840 households face being threatened with homelessness through no-fault evictions if the government does not pass the bill by the last possible date for a general election (28 January, 2025).
Since the story was first reported, it’s also become apparent that extensive lobbying from landlords also played a part in Gove’s decision to delay plans to end no-fault evictions.
OpenDemocracy reports that the National Residential Landlord Association’s (NRLA) group has been lobbying the government over the bill and the DLUHC statement announcing the delay came in its response to a report by Parliament’s housing committee that references the NRLA 73 times.
The NRLA led a campaign by landlord lobby groups calling for urgent reforms in the justice system, arguing it currently takes too long for repossession hearings to take place because of huge backlogs in the courts.
The NRLA, which represents 98,000 landlords, welcomed the government’s announcement, and said on its website: “The government has confirmed it will NOT axe section 21 ‘no-fault’ repossessions until improvements have been made to the courts, following extensive lobbying by the NRLA.”
So there we are, the Tory party once more gives into vested interests rather than helping the most vulnerable.
Basit Mahmood is editor of Left Foot Forward
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