Property lawyer says delay to Section 21 eviction ban ‘practical and sensible’

Property lawyer says delay to Section 21 eviction ban ‘practical and sensible’

Government plans to indefinitely delay its plans to scrap Section 21 evictions in England and Wales until after the court system is reformed, has been welcomed as a sensible decision by a property lawyer specialising in this area of the market.

Ministers initially pledged to end the right of landlords to evict tenants without needing a reason in 2019.

However, housing secretary Michael Gove said this week it was “vital” to update the courts first.

He said the ban cannot be enacted before a series of improvements are made in the court system, which is used by some landlords to reclaim possession of their homes.

Gary Scott, partner at law firm, Spector Constant & Williams, said: “Renters will be disappointed by the news that the abolition of the s21 “no reason” eviction is likely to be delayed indefinitely and be linked to court reforms.

“The Court system is already buckling under the weight of possession claims and would be unable to withstand the pressure of further contested claims, which would require substantial additional court time under the present system. It is therefore a practical and sensible step to link the implementation of the abolition of s21 to changes in Court efficiency and process.

“Unfortunately, for tenants who believe that the end of s21 evictions will be a good thing, there don’t appear to be any such plans afoot for reform and it is highly questionable whether there is yet sufficient political will to carry out the requisite investment and reform that would be needed to deliver a high quality and fairly balanced service for the private rental sector.”