13th
Oct 2022
Prime Minister Liz Truss announced in Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday 12th October, that the government will be upholding its pledge to scrap Section 21 eviction powers, contrary to the recent government leak featured in The Times’ recent story.
The tabloid paper said that the S21 powers’ ‘cull’ was no longer a government priority and may be consigned to the bin, despite the manifesto pledge.
The Times political editor Steven Swinford, tweeted: “Liz Truss is shelving Michael Gove’s plans to end no-fault evictions, which were due to be introduced in this Parliamentary session.
“The Times has been told that they are not considered a priority and could be killed off entirely, despite being a manifesto commitment.”
After the Times’ claims went public about the government scrapping its plan to ‘kill off’ S21 eviction powers, many property industry establishment organisations and anti-landlord activists vented their fury at the apparent climb down.
Unsurprisingly the CIEH praised the government’s intention to end S21 along with other measures featured in the Rental Reform’s White Paper.
Prior to Truss’s U-turn Ross Matthewman, head of policy and campaigns at the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health, said: “This is incredibly bad news for renters.
“It’s been a long three years since the UK government first announced its intention to ban no-fault evictions, and the measures outlined in the Queen’s Speech earlier this year pointed to real progress. Reports that these proposals could now be dropped are deeply worrying.
“Instead of shelving these plans, the government should keep its word to end no-fault evictions and require genuine grounds for repossession of tenanted property.
“Eviction causes enormous financial hardship and damages mental health. Renters should not be evicted unnecessarily or forced out under false pretences, for example because they have challenged poor housing standards.
“The government has previously recognised that a ban on no fault evictions is needed to level the playing field between landlord and tenant.
“We are calling on the government to stick to its commitments.”
And of course Nationwide jumped on the bandwagon with Rachael Sinclair, Nationwide's Director of Mortgages and Financial Wellbeing, saying: "If the government fails to push ahead with the proposals outlined in the Fairer Private Rented Sector White Paper, it will miss a vital opportunity.
“Rental regulations are crying out for an overhaul and now is the time to act as the cost-of-living crisis further exacerbates the challenges facing the sector, primarily poor conditions.
“Dropping the proposals at this point is short-sighted, and will only add to people’s concerns during what remains a worrying time for many."
And of course Generation Rent followed suit calling for members and renters to take part in a campaign of lobbying their MPs.
The campaign says on its website: “These reforms would give renters more certainty over their home and more power to complain. And they are so close to being achieved. The Conservatives' commitment to abolish section 21 evictions was made in April 2019. It was in the 2019 election manifesto. It was confirmed by two Prime Ministers at three Queens’ Speeches. Politicians need to stand up for renters today.”
Richard Merrick of PIMS, said: “The short-sighted foolishness displayed by these so-called experts is utter nonsense, on one hand they want S21 kicked out encouraging some ‘scroungers’ to stop paying their rent, safe in the knowledge there will be little recrimination.
“Rental housing stock will be significantly reduced which will push up rents, and will almost certainly increase the housing crisis as councils’ will be unable to meet the increased demand because of the lack of social housing.”
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