The Government must commit to a timetable to ban cruel section 21 evictions, Bath MP tells Parliament

25 October 2022

Wera Hobhouse, MP for Bath, has told Parliament that the culture of fear imposed upon renters with the threat of section 21 evictions creates unfair anxiety in people's lives and it must come to an end.

A section 21 notice allows private landlords to repossess their properties from assured shorthold tenants without having to establish fault on the part of the tenant. The Government promised to ban section 21 evictions in their 2019 manifesto and former Prime Minister Liz Truss recommitted to the promise at PMQ’s on 12th October. However, a timetable for the ban has not been confirmed and since the pledge was made over 200,000 private renters have been served a section 21 eviction, about one every 7 minutes.

The practice has been criticised as it creates a ‘culture of fear’ amongst tenants and gives landlords overwhelming leverage. Renters who complain to their landlord about things like cold and damp are almost twice as likely to be evicted than those who say nothing. Not only does it make a renter's life a nervous one (Shelter research shows almost 40% of private renters felt anxious because of housing problems) but it causes increased homelessness. 20,000 households in England last year faced homelessness due to section 21 notices.

Wera Hobhouse MP today called on the Government to recommit to imposing a ban on section 21 notices and that a clear timetable for this must be presented so this threat to households can be lifted quickly. The Liberal Democrats would help tackle rogue landlords and the imbalance in the housing market by introducing a new regulator for all private renters with all private landlords with more than 25 homes having to register with them.

Wera Hobhouse, MP for Bath, commented:

“The culture of fear imposed upon renters has to come to an end. It is not fair to make people live their lives under constant threat of it being uprooted at a moment's notice. It is especially cruel during a cost of living crisis where people are already worrying about heating or eating. They should not be forced to consider whether they will also have a roof over their head.

“Rogue landlords have exploited this situation for years. 324,000 private tenants in the last five years have been evicted after complaining to their landlord about a problem in their homes. People should not be forced to choose between living in poor conditions or becoming completely homeless. The law has to change to stop this grim situation.

“What is required is for the Government to recommit to its ban on section 21 notices and bring forward a clear timetable so worried families can get the clarity they need. The balance of power in the rental market also has to change. Landlords must be regulated properly. The Liberal Democrat approach is the right one. By introducing a regulator for all private renters and requiring landlords with more than 25 homes to register with them, it will protect vulnerable people properly.”