Landlords are increasingly evicting tenants at the last minute before a new law comes into force in England next month to outlaw no-fault evictions, charities have said.
The renters’ union Acorn told the Guardian that no-fault evictions accounted for one in five of the reports it received from members in October. By January, that figure had risen to nearly one in three.
The trend suggests that some landlords are acting before the legal change takes effect, in order to continue a practice that will soon be banned under the renters’ rights bill. Campaigners have long argued that no-fault evictions leave tenants vulnerable, since they can be forced out of their homes without the landlord having to give a reason.
Acorn’s figures point to a sharp increase over just a few months. The jump from one in five reports in October to nearly one in three in January indicates that the issue has become more common as the deadline for reform approaches.
Charities have raised concern that tenants may be facing pressure to leave quickly, with some landlords seeking to end tenancies before the new rules prevent them from using no-fault eviction as a route to regain possession of a property.
The forthcoming change is expected to mark a significant shift in the balance of rights between renters and landlords in England. For tenants, the abolition of no-fault evictions is intended to provide greater security and reduce the risk of being removed from a home without explanation.
The reports to Acorn offer a snapshot of how the transition may already be affecting the rental market. As the law approaches, renters’ groups say they are seeing more cases that appear linked to the end of the current system.
The concern now is that the weeks before the law takes effect may bring further attempts to evict tenants under the old rules, before the practice becomes unlawful in England.
