Unfair Evictions ‘Cost Councils £161m A Year’

Ending unfair evictions could reduce homelessness by 9% and save the public purse £161m a year, according to analysis by Generation Rent. Figures from the MHCLG show that out of 755,250 households made homeless or threatened with homelessness between April 2018 and December 2020, 140,950 (19%) had been in a private assured shorthold tenancy. The campaign group says that of these households, 68,430 households have faced homelessness after their landlord evicted them to sell or re-let the property or in retaliation for a complaint. Read more on the Yourmoney website.

https://www.yourmoney.com/mortgages/unfair-evictions-cost-councils-161m-a-year/

  

MHCLG Launches Section 21 Consultation

The Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has launched its consultation on abolishing so called ‘no-fault’ evictions and improving Section 8 grounds. It will run for 12 weeks and closes on 12 October 2019. The Government is proposing the removal of Assured Shorthold Tenancies (ASTs) from the Housing Act 1988. This would mean that all landlords – private and social – will only be able to offer assured tenancies.  Download the consultation from the MHCLG website.

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/a-new-deal-for-renting-resetting-the-balance-of-rights-and-responsibilities-between-landlords-and-tenants

Third Of Councils Have More Than 20% PRS Residents

A third of councils have more than 20% of residents renting from private landlords, new stats show. Generation Rent says the stats, released by the ONS, expose the extent of housing market failure. Generation Rent is campaigning for an end to Section 21, the law that allows landlords to evict assured shorthold tenants without needing a reason – one which has been recognised as a leading cause of homelessness. The stats show that in 2017, 32.50% of local authorities now have private renter populations of between 20% and 39% – up from 25.31% in 2012. A further 0.3% (one council) had a figure of 40% or more in both years. Read more on 24housing.

https://www.24housing.co.uk/news/a-third-of-councils-have-more-than-20-of-residents-in-prs/

Private Renters Made Homeless Have Trebled Since 2010

The number of private renters being made homeless is at a near-record high and has more than trebled under the Conservative government. Thousands of renters each month are being deemed officially homeless by local councils after being evicted by private landlords and struggling to pay rents that have risen across the country by more 20 per cent since 2010.  The figures show a huge rise in people becoming homeless at the end of assured short hold tenancies (ASTs) – the most common agreement used by private landlords – since 2010. In the year to September 2016, 18,820 private renting households were made homeless, compared with just 5,580 in the year to September 2010. Read more on the Independent website.

Number Of Households In Temporary Accommodation Rises Again

Government figures show that there were 74,630 households in temporary accommodation on 30 September this year, an increase of 9% at the same point last year. The total number of households in temporary accommodation has now risen by 55% since 2010. Meanwhile 14,930 households were accepted as homeless between July and September this year – a rise of 2% across England. The ending of an Assured Shorthold Tenancy is still the leading cause of homelessness in England – accounting for 32% of acceptances while in London it accounts for 40%. Read more on the Crisis website.

Record Numbers Left Homeless After Eviction By Private Landlords

Record numbers of families are becoming homeless after being evicted by private landlords and finding themselves unable to afford a suitable alternative place to live, government figures show. The end of an assured shorthold tenancy (AST) was cited by nearly a third of the 15,170 households in England who were classed as homeless in the three months to June – a number that was up 10% on the same period last year. The problem was particularly acute in London, accounting for 41% of all homelessness acceptances in the capital during the period, according to figures from the CLG. Read more on the Welfare Weekly website.