Private renters have faced a “shocking” surge in no-fault evictions since July with more landlords taking possession claims to court than at any time in the past seven years.
The use of the section 21 eviction notices, which landlords can deliver without tenants doing anything wrong, jumped by 38% on the previous year.
The figures come despite a ban featuring in the King’s Speech, which looks set to be stalled after the government claimed that the courts are not ready to handle a new system.
Figures from the Ministry of Justice show the number of no-fault evictions taken to court in England rose to 8,399 from July to September. The court threat is often enough for tenants to quit, but bailiffs executed 2,307 section 21 evictions in that period – the most since before the pandemic.