Today the government announced that it would scrap powers that allow landlords to evict tenants for no reason at all. This is a huge step forward that will help make private renting more stable for millions of people, including for those affected by homelessness.
England’s severe decline in social housing has meant renting privately is the only option for thousands of people across the country. But for many, especially those in the most vulnerable circumstances, private rented housing has become hugely expensive.
It has also become hugely unstable. Right now, the ending of a private tenancy is the single biggest reason for homelessness in England. For people on the lowest incomes, when the dreaded eviction notice comes, finding a new home can be a massive struggle, or – as we see with our clients every day – totally impossible.
The situation is even worse for people already sleeping rough on the streets or trapped in temporary accommodation desperate to find a way out.
The Sustain project – a joint piece of research between Crisis and Shelter – tracked the experiences of over 100 people who had been resettled into privately rented homes after having been homeless.
The instability of short-term contracts and fear of being kicked out of their homes – including simply for complaining about dangerous conditions in their properties – left many feeling insecure and anxious about their future, worried that they would be forced into homelessness once again. That’s why today’s announcement is so important.
To be successful, the changes must work both for landlords and tenants. Improving court processes so that they work more effectively when landlords have a legitimate reason to ask their tenant to leave is important. Likewise, ensuring renters aren’t evicted by the back door with huge rent increases is also crucial.
And of course, ending no-fault evictions isn’t a panacea. The government must make sure these changes come alongside a wider strategy to address the root causes of homelessness.
This includes properly investing in Universal Credit so that it truly meets the cost of rents, as well as building more social housing to give people affordable options outside of the often very expensive private rental market.
But – if implemented quickly and properly – today’s news will represent a monumental step in the right direction and keep us in step with the rest of Britain. The Scottish Government already scrapped no fault evictions more than a year ago, and this weekend, the Welsh Government announced their commitment to ending them as well.
With more than 80% of private renters starting their tenancies with contracts as short as six or 12-months – this move can’t come quickly enough. We look forward to working with the government to get the details of this right over the coming months – and, in the longer term, go further to make sure everyone has the security and stability of a place to call home.
Jon Sparkes is chief executive of Crisis