MPs support Government’s plans to scrap Section 21 evictions

MPs have backed government plans to scrap Section 21 ‘no fault evictions’ in a move that will anger many landlords.

The MPs sitting on the Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Committee say they understand landlords want to keep Section 21, but too many tenants are evicted unfairly.

Abolition of fixed term tenancies as the Government has also proposed in its Renters Reform Bill, is also supported by the MPs.

“We conclude that the abolition of fixed-term tenancies, combined with the repeal of section 21, would undoubtedly give tenants greater security of tenure, and we therefore welcome the proposals,” the committee says.

But the MPs say they want fixed term tenancies for student lets to be retained, or many landlords will be put off from offering student rentals.

Housing courts

The committee is concerned about the pressure on courts of landlords forced to use Section 8 of the Housing Act 1988 if Section 21 is no longer an option.

Government plans to also introduce a Decent Homes Standard in PRS is supported by the committee, but the MPs said this could also add to the number of cases handled by busy courts.

So, the committee repeated an early recommendation that there should be dedicated housing courts to handle a surge in cases.

“The best way to improve the housing court system is to establish a specialist housing court, but the Government has rejected this idea, for reasons we find unsatisfactory,” the committee says.

A single ombudsman should be introduced for the whole of the PRS to replace the two existing lettings schemes, the committee says.

Read the committee report here

More on the Renters Reforms here