A record number of people in Bolton were made homeless due to a 'no-fault' repossession after not following a Section 21 eviction order last year, new figures show. Labour has introduced the Renters’ Rights Bill this week that bans Section 21 orders, which allow landlords to evict tenants with two months' notice without a reason. The Bill takes up the baton from the Conservatives' Renters' (Reform) Bill , which had included a ban on 'no-fault' evictions before being rescinded.
But according to the latest figures from the Ministry of Justice, landlords submitted 191 repossession orders to Bolton county courts this year up to June – the highest figure since records began 11 years ago. These orders are submitted after a tenant has refused to leave the property after a Section 21 order. In the same period, bailiffs made 73 evictions after a ‘no-fault’ repossession – also the highest figure on record.
Across England and Wales, over 32,000 of these 'no-fault' eviction claims were submitted to courts last year, the highest figure in nine years. Meanwhile, repossessions jumped nearly 24 per cent last year to over 10,000, the highest figure in six years. The true number of Section 21 notices issued is likely much higher, as these figures only include those in which the tenant has not left the property after two months.
Research by the charity Shelter found 26,000 households across the UK have been evicted after a section 21 repossession in the past five years. The Renters’.