Buckinghamshire charity welcomes end of no-fault evictions
Aylesbury Homeless Action Group says abolishing Section 21 notices will bring greater stability for renters
A Buckinghamshire charity says it is welcoming the ban of a legislation that's been "a major cause of homelessness".
Section 21 notices, also known as "no fault evictions", have been abolished from today under the Renters’ Rights Act.
The changes mean private landlords in England can no longer ask tenants to leave without giving a legal reason. Instead, landlords must now use specific grounds for possession, such as rent arrears, anti-social behaviour, or plans to sell the property.
Aylesbury Homeless Action Group says the move could help prevent people from losing their homes unexpectedly and improve stability for renters.
Chief Executive James Boultbee said: “I think it is just more stability, more predictability, and a feeling that somewhere that they are renting is potentially a home, which people need.
“If people aren’t able to afford to buy their own place and settle down, which perhaps previous generations tended to assume, then they do at least need to feel that they've got stability, and they've got somewhere that feels like home.
He added that it can help be a constant throughout someone’s life, saying: “Mental health can get worse, physical health can get worse, people can find that addictions are coming up, and without that feeling like you've got somewhere safe - the chance of people actually recovering is very, very low.
“It’s really hard to get anywhere in life without a proper home.”
Mr Boultbee also says that no fault evictions has been a “major cause of homelessness” in the past.
“It can be single people, but in some cases it's families, and you can only imagine the feeling of worrying about where you're going to sleep, where your kids are going to sleep, not knowing what's going to happen to you”, he said.