GMLC is collecting data about Section 21 evictions to try and evaluate proposed reforms to the private rented sector. If you’ve been given a Section 21 Notice in the last 3 years, you can fill in the survey here.
In June this year, the government released its long-awaited white paper on rental reform, ‘A Fairer Private Rented Sector’. The paper proposes an overhaul of laws around private rented accommodation. Its headline policy is the abolition of Section 21 evictions, which enable landlords to evict tenants without giving a reason. Section 21 evictions have been identified as the leading single cause of homelessness. They mostly happen in the private sector, but social tenants with Assured Shorthold Tenancies can also be evicted using Section 21.
Section 21 is a ‘mandatory’ ground, meaning an eviction can take place without reference to its fairness or reasonableness. If the landlord or their agent completes the procedure correctly, a court has to award possession. Section 21 leaves many tenants living in fear of unfair ‘revenge’ evictions if they report repairs or fall out with their landlord. It also enables rapid change in the housing sector – for example, conversion of rental properties into AirB’n’Bs – without any way of measuring or regulating the shift.
The new reforms are to be welcomed insofar as they remove a type of eviction which is notoriously unjust. However, the white paper proposes a range of new mandatory grounds to replace Section 21. We are looking to assess how Section 21 is used in practice to evaluate the new reforms. We also hope to develop recommendations from our results as to how reforms could be improved.
We are asking people who have been served a Section 21 Notice (whether or not it went to court) in the last 3 years to fill in this form to tell us about their experience of eviction. We will keep results anonymous unless you ask us not to. The survey should take no more than 10 minutes to complete.
FILL IN THE SURVEY HERE
If you work with a tenants’ union, campaigning organisation or community group, please consider sharing our Tweet here and Facebook post here to help us collect as much data as possible.
If you have any questions about this research, contact katebradley@gmlaw.org.uk.
