Renters Reform Bill passes third reading in Commons despite delay to abolition of no fault evictions

The Renters Reform bill has passed its third reading in the House of Commons, despite it including an indefinite delay to the end of Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions.

In February, the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, Michael Gove, committed to introducing the proposed ban on section 21 evictions before the next general election.

However, Ministers confirmed during a debate on the legislation this week (24 April) that Government would delay commencement of the ban until a review of the courts system had taken place (the commencement clause).

Responding to the amendment, the Local Government Association (LGA) said: “The ending of a private rented tenancy is the most common reason for a household being at risk of homelessness. It is imperative therefore that there is no delay in ending Section 21 eviction notices. We are very concerned by the commencement clause that would allow the Secretary of State to delay the implementation of the ban, while the Government addresses court backlogs.

“Without a sufficient strategy and timescale to address the alleged backlogs, this delay could be indefinite. New Government amendments to the Bill would require the Government to publish a review of the operation of residential possession proceedings in the courts prior to the abolition, further delaying the abolition.”

A section 21 notice allows a landlord to evict a tenant, once their fixed term contract has come to an end, without providing a reason.

Ministry of Justice statistics showed an increase of 49% in households evicted by bailiffs in 2023 (9,457 from 6,339 in 2022).

A Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities spokesperson said: "Our commitment to scrap section 21 no-fault evictions as soon as possible is unchanged.

“We have always said we will give six months notice before ending section 21 for all new tenancies. In addition, we have committed to ensuring improvements in the courts service are rapidly implemented before extending this abolition to all existing tenancies.”

Lottie Winson