Solicitors report that they have been overwhelmed with requests to serve last-minute section 21 no-fault eviction notices before they are banned when the Renters' Rights Act comes into force in England on Friday. The legislation, hailed as the most significant change to renting in a generation, bans no-fault evictions, limits rent increases, and abolishes fixed-term tenancies.
Surge in Demand for Eviction Notices
On the eve of the new rules, solicitors said they were working long hours to keep up with the sudden demand for eviction notices. Citizens Advice reported that thousands of people facing a no-fault eviction had approached them for help in the last month. In March, the service assisted 2,335 individuals dealing with a no-fault eviction, a 16% increase compared to the same period last year. Additionally, they helped more than 1,800 people with disrepair issues such as damp and mould, and over 1,000 with rent increases.
Thackray Williams, a law firm based in London and Kent, said it had received a wave of last-minute instructions from landlords looking to evict tenants and sell their properties due to the legislation. Mustafa Sidki, a partner at the firm, described Wednesday as an "absolutely manically busy day." He noted that many landlords were trying to serve last-minute section 21 notices, while many tenants who had been served were seeking advice because they were desperate. "This is people's homes, people's lives," Sidki said.
He revealed that the number of section 21 instructions he had received this year was four times higher than last year. The last-minute nature of the requests posed logistical challenges; there was no longer enough time to post the notices, so landlords were paying for people to deliver the documents by hand to ensure they met the deadline. Sidki explained that he advised clients to hand-serve the notices or pay a process server to do it, with photographic evidence of affixing it to the door or serving it through a letterbox, to prove it was done by 1 May.
Landlord Concerns and Tenant Struggles
Many buy-to-let landlords are worried about covering mortgage payments without rental income if their relationship with a tenant breaks down. "People are scared. That's why they're doing the section 21 notices now, because it's perceived to be quicker and easier than what's coming," Sidki said. He added that many tenants were choosing to stay put until receiving a warrant of possession—given to tenants who do not leave a property by the date specified in an eviction order—due to a lack of available housing elsewhere. "A lot of people are saying there's no housing for them anywhere else and they can't get social housing. The intention [of the new law] is good. But there's still a lack of housing," he noted.
Key Provisions of the Renters' Rights Act
In addition to banning no-fault evictions, the new law limits rent increases to once a year and upfront rent demands to one month's payment. Bidding wars for rental properties are now banned, as are fixed-term rental agreements. Councils have been given new powers to investigate and clamp down on rogue landlords. The law also prohibits discrimination against prospective tenants on benefits or with children, and allows renters to request pets in their home, which landlords cannot unreasonably refuse.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: "For too long, families have lived with the constant fear of eviction while young people have been outbid for the homes they need to start their lives. Today we are putting that right. This historic action will make renting fairer, safer and more secure for millions."
Ben Twomey, chief executive of the campaign group Generation Rent, described Friday as "a new era for private renters across England." He said: "This new law is a vital step towards rebalancing power between renters and landlords. For decades, section 21 evictions forced renters to live in fear of being turfed out of our homes, preventing us from raising valid concerns with our landlords. At last, this outdated and unfair law has been sent packing."
