The Government’s plan to ban no-fault evictions is causing massive backlogs as landlords rush to evict tenants before the new rules take effect. According to the Daily Telegraph, Section 21 eviction notices have hit a five-year high, with 2,671 tenants evicted by bailiffs in late 2023 — a 38% jump from 2019.

Mercers Litigation Team are noticing waits of over three months for appointments with County Court bailiffs.  The Daily Telegraph reports waits of six months in parts of London. 

The rise in demand for bailiffs’ services is compounded by a shortage of bailiffs.

At the time of this article, the Renters Reform Bill is before the House of Lords and will shortly go to committee stage.   So there could be further changes to the provisions of the Bill. But the key changes to residential lettings and assured shorthold tenancies are unlikely to be amended.

The Bill will abolish “no fault” evictions under Section 21 of the Housing Act 1988.  It will also re-classify all assured shorthold tenancies of less than 7 years as periodic tenancies.  Landlords will be able to recover possession of their rental properties but only if they can satisfy one of the grounds for possession. The grounds include rent arrears, breach of tenancy and the sale of the property. 

Our litigation team is keeping up to date with the everchanging rules to ensure that we can assist with any disputes which may arise as a result of these changes.  

If you require our services, please contact our Litigation Team.

Article written by Justine McCool – Solicitor – Litigation department