This Council notes that:

·         no fault evictions, introduced under Section 21 of the 1988 Housing Act, allow landlords to evict tenants, without having to give a reason, once the term of the tenancy has expired;

·         most of England’s 11 million renters are on tenancies with fixed terms of six months or a year; after this period has ended, landlords can evict their tenants under Section 21;

·         research published by The Observer campaign group Generation Rent indicates that Section 21 evictions are now the single biggest cause of homelessness in England; and that

·         in 2017, the Scottish Government made tenancies indefinite and banned no-fault evictions under the terms of the Private Housing (Tenancies) (Scotland) Act 2016.

This Council believes Abolishing Section 21 no-fault evictions:

·         would help to make renting more secure, improve standards and increase tenant confidence;

·         would further help to tackle homelessness, which should be a priority for government at all levels; and,

·         should happen as soon as practicably possible.

This Council therefore:

·         welcomes the UK Government announcement in April on plans to consult on new legislation to abolish Section 21 evictions in England, with which we will engage constructively; and

·         resolves to work with the Unfair Evictions Campaign led by Generation Rent, the New Economics Foundation, ACORN and the London Renters Union, to bring about the swift Abolition of Section 21 no fault evictions.

It was moved and seconded that:

“This Council notes that:

·          no fault evictions, introduced under Section 21 of the 1988 Housing Act, allow landlords to evict tenants, without having to give a reason, once the term of the tenancy has expired;

·          most of England’s 11 million renters are on tenancies with fixed terms of six months or a year; after this period has ended, landlords can evict their tenants under Section 21;

·          research published by The Observer campaign group Generation Rent indicates that Section 21 evictions are now the single biggest cause of homelessness in England; and that

·          in 2017, the Scottish Government made tenancies indefinite and banned no-fault evictions under the terms of the Private Housing (Tenancies) (Scotland) Act 2016.

This Council believes Abolishing Section 21 no-fault evictions:

·          would help to make renting more secure, improve standards and increase tenant confidence;

·          would further help to tackle homelessness, which should be a priority for government at all levels; and,

·          should happen as soon as practicably possible.

This Council therefore:

·          welcomes the UK Government announcement in April on plans to consult on new legislation to abolish Section 21 evictions in England, with which we will engage constructively; and

·          resolves to work with the Unfair Evictions Campaign led by Generation Rent, the New Economics Foundation, ACORN and the London Renters Union, to bring about the swift Abolition of Section 21 no fault evictions.”

(Note: The time being 8:33 p.m., the Mayor indicated that speeches on this matter would now be limited to a maximum of one minute per speaker.)

Following a debate on the matter, the Motion was put to the vote and it was carried unanimously.

          RESOLVED: That this Council notes that:

·          no fault evictions, introduced under Section 21 of the 1988 Housing Act, allow landlords to evict tenants, without having to give a reason, once the term of the tenancy has expired;

·          most of England’s 11 million renters are on tenancies with fixed terms of six months or a year; after this period has ended, landlords can evict their tenants under Section 21;

·          research published by The Observer campaign group Generation Rent indicates that Section 21 evictions are now the single biggest cause of homelessness in England; and that

·          in 2017, the Scottish Government made tenancies indefinite and banned no-fault evictions under the terms of the Private Housing (Tenancies) (Scotland) Act 2016.

This Council believes Abolishing Section 21 no-fault evictions:

·          would help to make renting more secure, improve standards and increase tenant confidence;

·          would further help to tackle homelessness, which should be a priority for government at all levels; and,

·          should happen as soon as practicably possible.

This Council therefore:

·          welcomes the UK Government announcement in April on plans to consult on new legislation to abolish Section 21 evictions in England, with which we will engage constructively; and

·          resolves to work with the Unfair Evictions Campaign led by Generation Rent, the New Economics Foundation, ACORN and the London Renters Union, to bring about the swift Abolition of Section 21 no fault evictions.