Richard Merrick of PIMS, said: “We welcome this guidance, as it is a common known fact that most councils will tell tenants, who have received eviction notices, to stay put until the bailiffs come in and then they will re-house them.”

The councils who are offering this advice are contradicting government guidance that says they must look to re-house tenants as soon as the eviction notices are served; and not when a possession order has been granted by a court.

Brandon Lewis’ correspondence says: “The statutory Homelessness Code of Guidance, which local authorities are required by law to have regard to, is clear on this matter.

“It contains guidance on how authorities should treat homelessness applications in circumstances where a tenant has received a valid S21 notice.

“It says that housing authorities should not, in every case, insist upon a court order for possession and that no local authority should adopt a blanket policy in this respect.

“Unless a local authority has very good reason to depart from the statutory guidance, then they should not be placing households in this position.”