News
THE GOVERNMENT PUTS PLANS TO SCRAP SECTION 21 ON HOLD
Saturday 1st August 2020
House ladder
The government has indicated that it will not scrap Section 21 evictions through the Renters' Reform Bill until at least 2021.
The Bill is unlikely to be introduced into the House of Commons for debate until after the urgency of responding to the Covid-19 pandemic has passed.
"With there being no end in sight for the coronavirus pandemic, the housing minister has indefinitely kicked the can down the road by delaying the Renters Reform act until the crisis has passed," said Franz Doerr, CEO at rental payment technology firm flatfair.
The government's decision not to outlaw the use of Section 21 to oust tenants who have built up rent arrears during the lockdown period will please many landlords, but not everybody has welcomed this move.
Doerr added: "At a time when many tenants are more vulnerable than ever, such long-overdue safeguards should be prioritised rather than delayed.
"Through no fault of their own, thousands of workers have been placed on furlough or made redundant and, once the furlough scheme comes to an end, will be turning to local authorities and government for support with housing.
"But landlords cannot be expected to operate for months with changes to their livelihood hanging over their heads. What is needed is certainty, both in terms of the government's specific intention for the Renters Reform Bill, and a rough time frame that will allow landlords and tenants across the country to plan for the future."