More people facing homelessness ahead of no-fault eviction ban, according to Bucks charity
The Government confirmed in November that Section 21 evictions will be abolished
A homeless charity in Buckinghamshire says they’ve noticed a rise in the number of people needing help after being faced with a ‘no-fault’ eviction notice.
The Government confirmed in mid-November that Section 21 ‘no-fault’ evictions will be abolished from May 2026.
It’s after the Renters’ Rights Act gained Royal Assent on 27 October.
Announcing it at the time, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said “every family deserves the dignity of a safe and secure home”.
Honor Fitzgerald, Services manager at Aylesbury Homeless Action Group says landlords are “trying to get their tenants out prior to the Bill coming in”.
“Things aren't being made as clear for landlords or tenants, meaning people are just trying to protect themselves. In doing so, they're either increasing rent so high that people can no longer afford it or they're evicting people through a Section 21 or ‘no fault’ eviction prior to them not being able to do that”, she said.
Ms Fitzgerald also said: “We recently had a couple who were aged 87 and 83 being evicted by a Section 21 notice.
“They'd been in their property for several years, probably over a decade, and just weren't in a position to buy whenever they were younger. As a result of that, they were looking at facing homelessness.
“We were able, luckily, to prevent their eviction but the thought of someone's 83 or 87-year-old grandparent being evicted and having to live in temporary accommodation is just heart-wrenching.”
She added: “We can definitely tell by the figures that we're seeing, is that more people are rough sleeping and more people are approaching us facing eviction - which is really good that they're seeking advice before they become homeless, but it does mean that we're even busier than before.”