Ban on ‘no fault evictions’ - Levelling-Up Committee Chair urges Government not to ‘kick the can down the road’ on private rental reform

Clive Betts, Chair of the Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (LUHC) Committee, has written today to Michael Gove, Secretary of State for the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (Chair letter available via link), to urge the Government to commit to a timetable for abolishing section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions (see also news item).

The King’s Speech committed the Government to re-introducing the Renters (Reform) Bill in the new Parliamentary session. However, the Committee’s correspondence expresses concern that section 21 abolition may be ‘indefinitely delayed’ and points to a lack of Government urgency on court reforms.

The Chair’s letter also criticises the Government for Ministerial comments made at the Second Reading of the Renters (Reform) Bill which mischaracterised a Committee report recommendation and attempted to deflect the blame towards the Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Committee for the Government’s delays in bringing forward reforms.

Clive Betts, Chair of the Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (LUHC) Committee, said: “The Government should be getting on with ensuring courts can fast-track claims rather than kicking the can down the road on private rental reform and seeking to make flimsy excuses for it delaying introducing the provision to ban ‘no fault’ evictions.

“Too many tenants currently experience unfair evictions and insecurity of tenure. Rather than seeking to cast the blame elsewhere for delaying reform, including in the direction of our Committee, the Government should be setting out a clear timetable for when it will implement the provisions of the Renters (Reform) Bill and ensure the legal system is fit to handle the consequences of the abolition of section 21. Tenants and landlords deserve that clarity and assurance.”

The Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Committee published its Reforming the Private Rented Sector Report on 9 February 2023, making a series of recommendations to Government in relation to plans to ban section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions and the need to fix a slow and unreformed court system (see news item, 9 February).

The Government’s response to the Committee’s Reforming the Private Rented Sector report was published only days before the Government’s Renters Reform Bill received its Second Reading in the House of Commons on Monday 23 October.