What we know about proposed ban on no-fault evictions

The new Labour government has introduced a new version of Rishi Sunak’s plan to end “no-fault” evictions during the King’s speech on Wednesday.

Sir Keir Starmer‘s plans for the wide-ranging Renter’s Rights Bill also includes empowering tenants to challenge rent increases and to request a pet; setting rules around the timeframes within which landlords must make homes safer for private renters, known as Awaab’s Law, and applying a “decent homes standard” to the sector.

It comes after the Conservatives’ Renters (Reform) Bill fell after Rishi Sunak called a general election. Sunak’s bill would have outlawed section 21 evictions, also known as no-fault evictions, which mean a tenant can be evicted by a landlord without reason.

Renters are given a minimum two months' notice.

The bill was described by homelessness charity Shelter as a “once-in-a-generation opportunity” to address problems facing renters and had reached its second reading in the House of Lords – the seventh of 11 stages a bill must pass before it can become law – when the general election was called by Sunak and parliament was dissolved.

It had received cross-party support and Labour indicated it would “happily” pass the legislation in the final days of the last parliament, but the government said it ran out of time.

Watch: Sir Keir Starmer discusses Labour's plan for renters' rights (from June)

In its subsequent election manifesto, Labour pledged an “overhaul” of the private rented sector.

It promised: “We will immediately abolish section 21 ‘no-fault’ evictions, prevent private renters being exploited and discriminated against, empower them to challenge unreasonable rent increases, and take steps to decisively raise standards, including extending ‘Awaab’s Law’ to the private sector.”

Awaab’s Law was proposed legislation for a strict timeframe for social housing landlords to fix problems, after two-year-old Awaab Ishak died in 2020 from a respiratory condition caused by prolonged exposure to mould in his home in Rochdale, Greater Manchester.

The Bill is set to strengthen tenants’ rights and protections, introducing new laws to end rental bidding wars. The government said it will also provide new, clear, and expanded possession grounds so landlords can reclaim their properties when they need to.

The Bill includes measures to strengthen enforcement powers for local councils, establish a new ombudsman service, create a digital private rented sector database, and give tenants the right to request keeping a pet.

What's the context?

No-fault evictions are impacting thousands of people and Matt Downie, chief executive of homelessness charity Crisis, has said they are the "leading cause of homelessness in England".

A Shelter analysis of Ministry of Justice figures earlier this year also found 26,311 households in England have been removed from properties by court bailiffs as a result of section 21 since 2019, when Theresa May's government pledged to scrap it.

In 2023 alone, 9,457 households were removed by bailiffs, up 49% from 6,339 households in 2022.

Meanwhile, a further 30,230 landlords in England started section 21 proceedings last year, a 28% rise from 2022.

Lord John Bird, founder of the Big Issue and crossbench peer, said he was glad to see the Renters Reform Bill back as a priority. He said: “In particular, as Champion of the Renters Reform Coalition, I strongly welcome the resuscitation of the long-floundering Renters Reform Bill.

“It’s only right that this government has acted immediately on rights for renters after years of broken promises.”

Housing charities will be watching the Starmer administration closely.

Shelter welcomed the announcement, writing on X: "The government must use this as a fresh start to create a strong Bill – which not only ends section 21 no-fault evictions, but tackles eye watering rent hikes and extends notice periods to truly provide security."

Shelter's chief executive Polly Neate said: "Renters can no longer be ignored, and lip service won’t cut it this time."

Tom Darling, campaign manager of the Renters’ Reform Coalition, which is made up of 20 housing and renter organisations, said following the collapse of the Sunak government's Renters Reform Bill that renters have been “so badly let down” after "waiting five long years for action" on the Tories' no-fault eviction pledge.

He warned the "next government must do much better".

The London Renters Union wrote on X: "The government has announced it will end no-fault evictions, as expected. This ban must be watertight, unlike the Tories' weakened bill that got dropped before the election.

"We also need to see the government take action to prevent families being forced out by big rent hikes."

Read more >>>

• "I received a notice on my door that my rent would increase to £1,100pcm — this time with no option for negotiation. I called the landlord straight away but they refused to answer and messaged me only to text them. After claiming that rent increases are normal, sending me a few emojis, which included a thumbs up, smiley faces and the prayer sign, and calling me “mate,” they blocked me. The next time I left my home, a dreaded Section 21 notice, was placed in front of my door." - 'I never thought it would happen to me... until my landlord left a Section 21 notice' (Evening Standard)
  

• “If you’re paying rent for a home, it should be none of your landlord’s business what you do in it. Unfortunately, in practice, there is little stopping landlords from imposing draconian conditions on their tenants, because they can threaten a Section 21 eviction if you don’t comply." - The worrying trend of landlords banning tenants from working from home (The Independent)
  

• “If Labour abolishes Section 21 completely and if they are going to put in place rent caps, then I will be putting properties on the market. There is no support for landlords, while there are organisations to tell tenants how to avoid paying rent" - ‘I lost £72,000 after tenants stopped paying rent – it will be worse under Labour’ (The Telegraph)