Wow, talk about a break—it’s been weeks since I’ve written anything down! Whether you’ve missed me or not, I’m back from my time off! Credit to Michael Gove for pulling me back into action. He’s back on the air saying that the Conservative party intends to put an end to Section 21 eviction notices in England by the next general election in January 2025.
Oh boy!
Until now, I kept quiet about this because I doubted they’d actually do it—and I’m still not convinced. But suddenly Gove’s making me think that it might just happen, under the proposed Renters (Reform) Bill. It’s now or never for them!
So you mean it, Gove? Okay then, let’s dive in!
My First Thoughts on Section 21’s Possible Demise
I’m pretty sceptical and think this whole idea to get rid of “no-fault evictions” is only about scoring votes—11 million potential votes from renters in England, to be exact.
Don’t get me wrong—I’m not singling out any particular political party here. British politics as a whole is a dismal joke; it’s beyond rock bottom, like a bad comedy act in a car park that also holds weekend boot sales.
I thought about jumping in with an “open letter” to Michael Gove, but decided against it. Anyone else notice how overly dramatic and self-centred those open letters are? They’re more likely to make me sick than make a difference.
Moving on.
Is the Ban on Section 21 Actually Going to Happen?
Honestly? Maybe.
I usually don’t put much faith in political promises, but let’s pretend that politicians are going to keep their word for once.
Alright then, we believe it’s happening. Let’s go further.
Many People Don’t Know What Section 21 Is, and That Helps the Government
The government isn’t really emphasizing the details of scrapping Section 21, but rather selling the concept of “security” to renters.
“Vote for us, and we’ll make renters safer by getting rid of Section 21.”
Sounds great, sign me up, right? Unfortunately, most people don’t understand how that’s supposed to make them more secure, so it’s easy for the government to promote this message.
Most of the supporters of banning Section 21, including the media reporting on it, don’t really know what it is, what role it serves, or why it’s different from a Section 8 notice. They also don’t get why the flawed legal system makes landlords turn to Section 21 notices.
There’s a common misconception that Section 21 is an unfair eviction method landlords use randomly, which isn’t the case at all.
It’s ridiculous to think landlords would randomly evict good tenants—it just doesn’t happen like that.
The Statistics on Section 21 Are Misleading
Those against Section 21 often point to alarming statistics, crying out that landlords are abusing power and need to be reined in.
First off, I doubt it’s even possible to track the actual number of Section 21 notices that are issued.
Second, since Section 21 is “no fault,” we can’t know the real reasons behind each notice. Often, these notices are given out at the end of a lease when a tenant has violated the agreement, but this fact is usually overlooked.
Landlords aren’t evicting without reason in the middle of a lease. When there’s a real issue, landlords can use a Section 8 eviction notice, but it’s often easier to just wait until the lease ends rather than fighting it out in court.
The point is, in reality, Section 21 notices aren’t just random “no fault” occurrences, no matter what most people believe. The stats and stories being shared don’t represent the full picture.
The government knows this but prefers to tweak the narrative to appear like the hero. It’s no surprise that Section 21 notices went up during a cost-of-living crisis, likely caused by the government itself.
What’s more likely—tenants falling behind on rent during hard times and getting eviction notices, or landlords suddenly deciding to kick out good tenants for no good reason? It seems like the government is creating a problem and selling a faulty solution.
Getting Rid of Section 21 Won’t Affect Good Landlords That Much
The notion that many landlords prefer constantly changing tenants over keeping good ones long-term is laughable. Everyone knows how costly and risky it is to switch tenants without good reason.
The truth is, most landlords don’t use Section 21 lightly. Because of this, personally, I’m not too worried about the change. However, I still think this political manoeuvre needs to be called out for what it is—a transparent strategy to win votes under false pretences.
Will Eliminating Section 21 may inadvertently hurt tenants more than the offending minority of rogue landlords it aims to combat. The result could see landlords leaving the private rented sector or becoming even more selective in their tenant choices. This could lead to greater difficulties for tenants in finding housing, as landlords might opt to require guarantors, further decreasing accessibility for many.
The likelihood is that some landlords will issue more Section 21 notices prior to the abolition deadline if they’ve had prior issues with their tenants. This is in anticipation of the difficulties that may arise in resolving tenant problems after the ban, which is expected to make evictions more challenging and costly.
There’s a concern that this crackdown could lead to an increase in the use of Section 8 evictions, which are already burdening the court system. However, the government, including Michael Gove, has committed to funding the courts to deal with this anticipated surge. Despite this pledge, many are sceptical about the effectiveness of such funding, considering the current insufficient funding for other public services.
If this policy change occurs, many landlords, myself included, are not overly worried as our preferences lean towards long-term tenancies. However, the fear is that any potential delays and complexities introduced to the eviction process will ultimately make it more difficult for tenants to find homes.
Overall, the move to abolish Section 21 may be well-intentioned but could result in negative consequences for tenants. In the end, it may turn out that changes are not as significant as promised, and the effort could be another example of politicians engaging in politics as usual.
Please note that this is simply a personal perspective from a landlord and blogger. I am not professionally qualified to provide legal or financial advice. Always seek out a qualified professional for any serious legal or financial concerns.
