A leading MP warns that abolition of Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions will not happen until after next year’s General Election.

Clive Betts (main picture), who chairs the housing select committee, says it is “probable” the delayed ban on Section 21 evictions will not come into effect before the election.

With a possible change of government at the election, a move to abandon Section 21 evictions must now be in serious doubt.

Last minute withdrawal

Ministers decided to postpone abolition of Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions until the court system was made more efficient.

The measure was taken out of the Renters (Reform) Bill at the last minute before its second reading in Parliament recently.

Labour MP Betts also accused ministers of trying to “deflect blame” for an indefinite delay to abolition of Section 21.

In a letter to housing secretary Michael Gove, he said ministers suggested MPs agreed a delay with no fixed deadline was necessary until court backlogs were dealt with.

Committee “Very angry”

Betts said in an interview with The Guardian the committee was “very angry” that the government had cited its concern about court capacity when explaining the delay.

He said that because of the delay, no one who rented privately or under the current tenancy arrangements could have any certainty about where they would be living in a year’s time.

Betts also suggested in the interview that rogue landlords should have rental homes confiscated.

Seized homes could then be used by local councils to house people, or be sold off to raise money for social housing, he said.