Tories postpone pledge to ban no-fault evictions for renters until economy recovers
A Conservative manifesto pledge to ban no-fault evictions for renters will be postponed until there is a “stable economic” terrain, a government minister has admitted.
The comments from Christopher Pincher, a housing minister, came amid calls on the government to extend the moratorium on evictions for tenants, which expired on Monday, as the country faces a second wave of the coronavirus pandemic.
Charities and campaigners have also called for no-fault evictions (Section 21 notices) – allowing landlords to serve notice and evict tenants without reason – to alleviate the pressures facing renters.
Boris Johnson also vowed to abolish Section 21 notices in the Tories’ December general election manifesto.
But pressed on the commitment, housing minister Chris Pincher said: “The government is committed to amending section 21, to repealing it as part of our renters’ reform bill and we will do that at the appropriate time when there is a sensible and stable economic and social terrain on which to do it.”
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