Fall in 'Section 21' evictions in Mansfield last year – as Government moves to ban them

The Government has announced so-called 'no-fault' evictions would be abolished as part of the Renters' (Reform) Bill.

However, new Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities figures show six repossessions were made through ‘accelerated possession orders’ in Mansfield district in the year to March, down from nine the year before.

The number of repossessions through S21 has nearly doubled across England and Wales, rising from 4,026 in the year to March 2022 to 8,048 in 2022-23.

This has also topped the 7,742 recorded before the coronavirus pandemic.

Polly Neate, chief executive of housing charity Shelter, said: “Private renters have been waiting a long time to see unfair no-fault evictions abolished. Since the Government first promised to do this in 2019, 61,000 households have had to face the courts and endure the fear, panic, and threat of homelessness S21 evictions cause.

“However, for the bill to work, loopholes cannot be created for unfair evictions to carry on via the backdoor.

“The Government must ensure when landlords do seek to take their property back that they provide sufficient proof their intentions are legitimate, notice periods are long enough to protect tenants from homelessness, and there are big penalties for misuse.”

Separate DLUHC figures show 5,120 households were given homelessness duties after being served with a S21 notice in the last three months of 2022 – four of them in Mansfield.

This was down slightly from the same period in 2021, when 5,420 were presenting as homeless.

The data also shows 11 households became homeless after the landlord decided to sell or re-let the property.

Dan Wilson Craw, acting director of Generation Rent, a campaign group which represents private renters, described the Bill as a “positive step”, but said it needs robust safeguards to prevent abuse by landlords.

A DLUHC spokesman said: “Our reforms will abolish S21 evictions – giving tenants more security and empowering them to challenge unfair rent increases.

“Only a minority of evictions end up in the courts but we’re reforming the process to reduce delays, ensuring the new tenancy systems works for landlords and tenants.”