A RECORD number of people in Barnsley lost their homes due to a ‘no-fault’ repossession last year, latest figures have revealed.
The Labour Party aims to ban Section 21 notices, which allow landlords to evict tenants with two months’ notice without a reason, with its Renters’ Rights Bill.
The Bill will take up the baton from the Conservatives’ Renters’ (Reform) Bill, which had initially included a ban on so-called ‘no-fault’ evictions before being rescinded.
But the latest figures from the Ministry of Justice show landlords submitted 87 ‘accelerated possession orders’ to county courts in Barnsley in the year to June – up slightly from 85 the year before, and the highest figure since records began in 2003/04.
These orders are submitted after a tenant has refused to leave the property following a Section 21 notice being issued.
In the same period, bailiffs made 33 evictions following a repossession order being issued – also the highest figure on record.
A total 32,789 of these ‘no-fault’ eviction claims were submitted to courts across England and Wales in 2023/24, the highest figure since 2015/16.
Meanwhile, repossessions jumped nearly 24 per cent last year to 10,802, the highest figure in six years.
The true number of Section 21 notices issued is likely much higher, as these figures only include those in which the tenant has not left the property after two months.
Tom Darling, director of the Renters’ Reform Coalition, said although the government has pledged to end ‘no-fault’ evictions, ‘renters cannot afford to wait much longer’
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He added: “We must see legislation brought forward soon to get a grip on the situation and address the renting crisis.
“England’s renting crisis is out of control, with soaring rents and record levels of homelessness.
“The government is saying the right things on this front, but we will reserve judgement until we see the detail of the legislation.
“We are concerned, however, that unaffordable rent increases will continue to be no-fault evictions for many renters. We are clear that the best way to prevent this is a cap on in-tenancy rent increases, at the lowest of inflation or wage growth.”
The government said it will ‘take action where the previous government has failed’ and protect renters – including ending ‘no-fault’ evictions.
It added it is determined to ‘level decisively the playing field between landlord and tenant by providing renters with greater security, rights and protections and cracking down on the minority of unscrupulous landlords who exploit, mistreat or discriminate against tenants’.
Whilst the National Residential Landlords Association said the system which replaces Section 21 ‘needs to be fair, workable and sustainable for both responsible landlords and renters’, warning this means ‘fixing a broken justice system which too often fails those reliant upon it’.
