Merely ending no-fault evictions will not be enough to tackle the issue of rough sleeping in Brighton and Hove , a housing expert has warned. The Renters’ Rights Bill had its second reading in the Commons last week and is looking to end Section 21 evictions, which the Labour government describes as one of the “root causes of homelessness”. Section 21s, or no-fault evictions, allow landlords to evict tenants with two months' notice without providing a reason.
Brighton and Hove had the highest number of rough sleepers of any local authority in the South East in the autumn of 2023 with 52 - an increase of 27% on the year before, according to government data. However, Andy Winter, the former chief executive of the homeless charity BHT Sussex, has said merely ending no-fault evictions will not resolve the matter and that the court system needs repair or reform for the bill to be effective. Discussing no-fault evictions in Brighton and Hove, Mr Winter said: “They are the number one cause for people becoming homeless, they are a major problem but I don't think by merely abolishing it will resolve the issue.
“A lot of the measures will be difficult to enforce and rights are only as good as one's ability to enforce them. “The courts are at near collapse, it takes six months to a year before a court date can be secured. That's not good for the tenant and that's not good for the landlord.
“The previous government cut the court services to the bone and the new government is.
