THE shelving of the Renters (Reform) Bill is a huge betrayal, London’s Mayor said today as a City Hall analysis revealed a 52 per cent rise in no-fault evictions in the capital.
The analysis of official Ministry of Justice (MoJ) figures shows that the rise is more than five times the rate seen in the rest of England and Wales in the year to March.
There were 11,880 such claims in London in the first quarter of 2024, up from 7,834 in the same period last year. In the rest of England and Wales the increase was 9 per cent.
Renter campaign groups had criticised the Bill after it was watered down to meet landlord lobbyists’ demands, but it still would have given tenants a fairer shot against evictions under “section 21.”
The government first pledged to abolish the evictions in 2019. In London alone, more than 30,000 renting households have faced a no-fault eviction claim since then.
Mayor Sadiq Khan said today: “The government’s failure to pass the Bill before the dissolution of Parliament today is a huge betrayal of London’s 2.7 million private renters, who are left with the threat of eviction hanging over their heads.
“These latest stats from City Hall are shocking, and the unacceptable delay to this vital Bill will leave even more renters in the capital at unnecessary risk of housing insecurity and homelessness.
“I’m doing all I can to build a better, fairer London for everyone by supporting tenants, but I cannot act alone. Renters’ rights must be a national priority — and no-fault evictions banned for good.”
Generation Rent chief executive Ben Twomey said: “Banning section 21 evictions has the potential to make a huge difference to renters’ lives and reduce the number of us who have to get our councils’ help to avoid homelessness.
“But abandoning the Bill as Parliament dissolves means the government has failed in its promise to renters at the last election to deliver a fairer tenancy system.
“Whoever forms the next government must make rental reform a key part of their agenda.
“This means proper protections from evictions when we have done nothing wrong, and limits on unaffordable rent rises so we can’t be turfed onto the streets at a landlord’s whim.”
