Landlords are gearing up to fight the government’s plans to scrap Section 21, the so-called ‘no fault’ repossession evictions currently used in the private rented sector.
The government is consulting on plans to abolish Section 21 in favor of improving the court system to ensure landlords can more swiftly process evictions and repossess properties when there is a legitimate reason for doing so.
Concerns that abolishing Section 21 will reduce the rental market
Concerns are being raised that the reforms will affect the level of confidence landlords have to invest in new properties, particularly at a time when demand for privately rented homes is high and showing signs of increasing.
Landlords are keen to ensure that any changes to the court system to enable the swifter processing of evictions and repossession of properties are in operation prior to the abolition of Section 21.
A number of landlord groups, including the Residential Landlords Association, National Landlords Association, and the new Landlords Alliance have already joined forces to fight the plans.
Describing it as the most radical anti-landlord measure yet, one landlord activist has described the plans as being akin to expecting landlords to hand over their properties indefinitely to tenants, with the power to get them back only available under very strict conditions.
Section 21 notices can currently be used in situations such as a tenant falling into rent arrears, anti-social behavior, or the landlord needing to claim back the property for sale or refurbishment.
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Furious landlords are arguing that removing the ability to swiftly evict a tenant when necessary marks an attack on private property rights and could lead to a reduction in the buy-to-let market as landlords stop investing in further properties. Some are even suggesting that the plans would lead to them no longer renting properties to people on benefits.
