Published: 21/10/2023 By Andrew Greenwood
The Government has pledged that section 21 ‘no fault’ repossessions will not be scrapped until improvements have been made to the way courts handle legitimate possession cases.At present it takes an average of over half a year for the courts to process possession claims where landlords have good cause, such as tenant rent arrears or anti-social behaviour.
The National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) has long argued that without quicker court processes, responsible landlords would simply leave the market following the abolition of section 21, at a time when renters are already struggling to find a place to live.
Responding to a report from the House of Commons Housing Select Committee ahead of MPs debating the Renters (Reform) Bill on Monday, the Government has confirmed that implementation of the new system for repossessing properties“will not take place until we judge sufficient progress has been made to improve the courts.” It continues: “That means we will not proceed with the abolition of section 21, until reforms to the justice system are in place.”
Alongside this, the Government has agreed with the NRLA’s call for a new ground to repossess properties to protect the yearly nature of the student housing market. By scrapping fixed term tenancies, the NRLA warned that neither landlords, nor students, would have any certainty that properties would be available to rent at the start of each academic year.