A tenant activist group has launched an online campaign to force Matthew Pennycook (pictured) to reveal when he will ban Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions once the Renters’ Rights Bill becomes law.

The Renters’ Reform Coalition says renters are being left “in limbo” without knowing when protections will come into force. The campaign website states: “Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook must announce a commencement date without delay. The day when landlords can no longer evict people for no reason can’t come soon enough.”

The Renters’ Rights Bill completed its expected final parliamentary debate last week and is now awaiting Royal Assent. However, the Government has not announced when many provisions will take effect, having previously said it would be ‘immediate’.

Secondary legislation

While some measures like open-ended tenancies will go live immediately upon Royal Assent, others will require secondary legislation and implementation periods.

The coalition argues the Government promised to ban Section 21 evictions “immediately” over a year ago, but renters are still waiting.

Next April will be 7 years to the day since a Prime Minister first promised an end to Section 21 – it would be a great shame if these evictions were still happening then.”

The campaign provides a template letter for supporters to send to Pennycook, which can be personalised with individual renting experiences. The standardised text reads: “Next April will be 7 years to the day since a Prime Minister first promised an end to Section 21 – it would be a great shame if these evictions were still happening then.”

The template adds: “Now that the Bill has passed the latest stage in the House of Commons, we need to know when it will actually come into force.”

Pennycook has committed to providing sufficient notice and that he will work with tenant and landlord organisations ahead of its implementation, with plans for a communications campaign and guidance suite.

Trade bodies, though, have called for at least six months to ensure a smooth transition to the new regulatory framework.

The Renters’ Reform Coalition is a campaign group comprising 19 organisations, including Shelter, Crisis, Generation Rent and ACORN.