After some considerable delay the government recently unveiled its White Paper consultation for its Renters Reform Bill which highlighted the government’s pledge to abolish Section 21 notices introduced in the 1988 Housing Act, causing major concerns of an increasing exodus of landlords out of the sector.

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There have been countless surveys showing many BTL landlords will be and are leaving the sector because of the onslaught of legislation and tax changes.

Of the most important and largest of surveys carried out this year was undertaken by a property inventories firm, which asked over 10,000 landlords and lettings agents to provide data for its Sectors Snapshot report.

The study held earlier in the year shows that 73 per cent of agents believed the scrapping of Section 21 will cause many landlords to leave the sector.

The analysis also found that 75 per cent of landlords will become far more selective in their tenant choices and 45 per cent intending to offer only short term lets.

Around 90 per cent of landlords and 70 per cent of agents are demanding for explicit and concise reasons for the grounds to submit re-possession claims as 60 per cent of agents want Section 8 to be significantly changed.

Over half of landlords (58 per cent) believe that the government must give more financial assistance to those tenants who are in risk of falling behind with rent payments, however 48 per cent of landlords along with 33 per cent of agents agree that scrapping Section 21 may balance rights.

Raj Dosanjh of an agent comparison site, commented: “The abolishment of Section 21 is clearly a worry area for agents and landlords, with many disagreeing with the move.

“Due to the additional risk the abolishment will bring to landlords, it’s obvious that many will move to shorter tenancies and more stringent tenant background checks.