With official figures pinpointing a rise in no-fault evictions in England, a law firm has said that landlords are pre-emptively evicting tenants ahead of the Renters' Rights Bill's introduction.

The Renters Reform Bill will abolish Section 21 no-fault evictions and stipulates that landlords must provide a three-month notice period before evicting tenants for rent arrears.

According to the Ministry of Justice 2024 saw a notable increase in accelerated possession claims—those triggered after the expiry of Section 21 notices—rising to 32,287 showing a 7% increase from the previous year's total of 30,230.

And of course, bailiff evictions stemming from these notices saw a 10% increase, rising from 2,671 between October and December 2023 to 2,947 during the same period last year.

Sarah Taylor, a property dispute resolution partner at the law firm, said: “We have seen that the uncertainty over the changes to the legislation has led to a number of landlords choosing to either leave the rental market or to obtain vacant possession of their property whilst they wait to see what happens when the new legislation comes into force.

“As the Renters’ Rights Bill makes its way through Parliament, landlords are waiting to see what the consequences will be and whether it will result in additional costs for them.”

“Some are unwilling to wait and instead choosing to leave the market."

She added: “Meanwhile, tenants are on the receiving end of this uncertainty as landlords serve notice on them to recover possession and evict them from their homes.

“It is important for the housing market that the bill becomes law soon to give certainty to both landlords and tenants.”

The Ministry of Justice’s figures shows that London boroughs lead the latest statistics for private landlord claims from October to December 2024.

The data reveals that seven of the top ten areas with the highest claim rates are located in the capital.

Waltham Forest ranks highest with 762 claims per 100,000 privately rented households, followed by Newham with 537 claims, and Barking and Dagenham with 475 claims.

In contrast, four local authorities reported no claims at all, however North Devon recorded the lowest rate at just 11.3 claims per 100,000.