Renters betrayed as new evictions approach after housing secretary ‘tears up his pledge’

Renters have been plunged into turmoil as evictions are set to resume after the housing secretary ‘tore up his pledge’ to protect them. 

Robert Jenrick introduced a ban at the start of the Covid pandemic which halted all hearings of possession cases as he championed that ‘no renter who lost income due to coronavirus will be forced out of their home’.

But, six months later, the government will allow evictions to resume in England and Wales from Monday.

Alicia Kennedy, who has directed the campaign Generation Rent, told The Times: ‘Robert Jenrick has torn up his pledge to protect renters.

‘There is now nothing stopping tenants who have been given a Section 21 [eviction] notice from being forced out of their home. 

‘Even renters in severe financial distress can only buy themselves an extra six weeks’ grace.

‘These new rules provide no comfort and do nothing to prevent hardship and homelessness.’

UK courts can usually grant automatic eviction notices if a tenant falls eight weeks into rent arrears. 

The ban on evictions has already been extended twice since March as figures from YouGov and Shelter suggest that 322,000 renters have fallen behind on their monthly payments due to the impact of the pandemic.    

The government has instructed that bailiffs are still forbidden from evicting those in areas of local lockdown or in the run up to Christmas – apart from in exceptional circumstances. 

Labour is also calling for a further extension of the ban similar to that seen in Scotland and Northern Ireland where renters will not face eviction until March 31. 

Defending the decision, Mr Jenrick said it was ‘right that we strike a balance between protecting renters and ensuring landlords whose tenants have behaved in illegal or anti-social ways have access to justice’.