Newly appointed housing secretary Angela Rayner has acknowledged that the abolition of Section 21 evictions needs to be accompanied by a functioning court system.
The Labour Party pledged to scrap Section 21 ‘immediately’ in its manifesto, but as it stands landlords who don’t use ‘no fault evictions’ are subject to lengthy delays in getting rid of bad tenants via a Section 8, due to delays in going to court and in appointing bailiffs.
Before the election result came through Rayner was quizzed on LBC on whether she would abolish Section 21 and she said “yes”, but not without adding “we also need to make sure the court system is working”.
Paul Shamplina founder of Landlord Action, said: “An immediate ban on Section 21 evictions is not feasible without first addressing the current inefficiencies within the court system. Rayner’s acknowledgment of this highlights the need for a balanced approach that considers both the rights of renters and the practicalities faced by landlords.
“Nevertheless, given Labour’s pledge, we now anticipate a further surge in the number of landlords serving Section 21 notices in the coming months. Landlords are likely to act pre-emptively to protect their interests before any legislative changes take effect. At Landlord Action, we have already seen an increase in instructions for Section 21 notices as many landlords move to secure their rental income or prepare their properties for sale.”
He added: “While the intention behind scrapping Section 21 is to protect tenants from unfair evictions, it’s crucial that the transition is handled carefully. This will help avoid unintended consequences that could reduce the availability of rental properties and ultimately harm both landlords and tenants.”