A “tsunami of landlords” will put in notices before the Section 21 ban is implemented, predicts Paul Shamplina of Landlord Action.

As the government publishes its Renters’ Rights Bill, including plans to abolish no-fault evictions for both new and existing tenancies, there are widespread fears that many landlords will react before the law takes effect next summer.

With the courts already taking many months to process evictions, Shamplina tells LandlordZONE that they need more resources to deal with the number of hearings that will double, meaning the need for more judges, bailiff reform and the use of high court enforcement officers to help.

Unacceptable
“We need confidence in the court system – at present the delays are unacceptable and will just get worse,” he says. “Landlords need to know they can get their properties back in good time. The new strengthened grounds under Section 8 have to be robust, with lots more mandatory grounds.

“My prediction is you will see a tsunami of landlords putting in Section 21 notices before the ban is implemented.”

However, Shamplina tells landlords to keep calm and not panic. “Let’s remember the letting market is thriving at present, because of demand.”

Readiness
Industry groups including the NRLA and Propertymark have also voiced fears about the sector’s readiness to cope with the changes without an overhaul of the court system. NRLA chief executive Ben Beadle says: “The cross-party Housing Select Committee has warned that without reforms to ensure the courts process cases much more swiftly, they risk becoming overwhelmed. This will not serve the interests of tenants or landlords seeking justice.”

Propertymark’s head of policy and campaigns, Timothy Douglas, says with such significant changes to the current tenancy regime there must be a commitment to ensure the court system and grounds for possession are robust and fit for purpose. He adds: “Without an enhanced, effective and well-resourced enforcement regime from local authorities it is unlikely that any benefits from the reforms will be realised.”

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