New figures released today show that 8,747 people in England and
Wales were served with a Section 21 or a ‘no-fault’ eviction
notice – which is a 32% increase (an increase of 2,131
households) from this time last year.
The Mortgage and Landlord Possessions statistics, from the
Ministry of Justice, cover the period July to September this
year. The figures also show:
- Since the last quarter (April-June 2023), there has been a
13% increase in Section 21 eviction notices served.
- The number of actual evictions carried out by bailiffs for
Section 21s increased by 31%.
- Overall, the number of eviction claims made between July and
September 2023 increased by 19% to 24,938.
- The number of overall eviction notices served have increased
across all regions. In London alone, 8,014 eviction notices were
served which is an increase of 35% from this time last year.
Earlier this week, the Westminster Government recommitted to
bringing in reforms for renters in England to strengthen their
rights under the Renters (Reform) Bill. This includes abolishing
Section 21 evictions. However, they say this will only come into
force once the court system has been reformed, without any
sufficient clarity on what this means or how long it will take.
Matt Downie, Chief Executive of Crisis, said:
“Yet again, we see evidence of the insurmountable pressures
placed on renters because of soaring rents and the cost of living
crisis. With each eviction notice served comes the stress of
finding somewhere else to live. In many cases, there are simply
no affordable homes available.
“While the Westminster Government reaffirmed its commitment to
scrap no fault evictions in the King’s Speech earlier this week,
we are seriously concerned that these won’t be abolished fully
until reforms to the court system take place, which may take
years. Tenants must not be punished because the courts aren’t
functioning properly. The Government must give struggling renters
the protections they need to ensure more and more people aren’t
pushed into homelessness.
“Ahead of the Autumn Statement, we urgently need the Westminster
Government to invest in housing benefit so that people across
Great Britain can afford even the cheapest of rents. On top of
this, it’s vital they set out a plan to deliver the social homes
we so desperately need.”
-Ends-
Notes to Editor
Mortgage and landlord possessions in England and Wales between
July and September 2023, https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/mortgage-and-landlord-possession-statistics-july-to-september-2023/mortgage-and-landlord-possession-statistics-july-to-september-2023
- The data shows the number of landlord possession actions
broken down by three types: accelerated procedure (which in
England refers to section 21/no-fault evictions), private
landlord evictions, which refers to all other types of eviction
by private sector landlords, and social landlord evictions.
- The Renters’ Reform Bill only applies to England, whilst the
above data covers England and Wales.
Crisis’ response to the King’s Speech – November 2023, https://www.crisis.org.uk/about-us/media-centre/crisis-responds-to-the-king-s-speech/
