Oldham no-fault evictions rise as law change welcomed

Last week, the Government announced so-called ‘no-fault’ evictions would be abolished as part of the Renters’ (Reform) Bill.

But new figures from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities show 29 repossessions were made through ‘accelerated possession orders’ in Oldham in the year to March – up from 12 the year before.

The number of repossessions through Section 21 has nearly doubled across England and Wales, rising from just over 4,026 in the year to March 2022 to 8,048 in 2022-23.

This has also topped the 7,742 recorded before the pandemic.

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Polly Neate, chief executive of housing charity Shelter, called the bill a "breakthrough".

"Private renters have been waiting a long time to see unfair no-fault evictions abolished. Since the Government first promised to do this in 2019, 61,000 households have had to face the courts and endure the fear, the panic, and the threat of homelessness that Section 21 evictions cause," she added.

"But for the bill to work, loopholes cannot be created for unfair evictions to carry on via the backdoor. The Government must ensure when landlords do seek to take their property back that they provide sufficient proof their intentions are legitimate, notice periods are long enough to protect tenants from homelessness, and there are big penalties for misuse," she urged.

Homelessness resulting from eviction

Separate figures, also from DLUHC, show 5,120 households were given homelessness duties after being served with a Section 21 notice in the last three months of 2022 – 20 of them in Oldham.

This was down slightly from the same period in 2021, when 5,420 were presenting as homeless.

The data also shows three Oldham households became homeless due to rent arrears after difficulties with budgeting or making other payments.

In addition, 53 Oldham households became homeless after the landlord decided to sell or re-let the property.

MP Debbie Abrahams welcomes ‘overdue’ plans

Responding to the government’s announcement Debbie Abrahams, MP for Oldham East and Saddleworth, said: “I welcome the government’s overdue plans to abolish ‘no fault’ evictions but they first made this promise over four years ago and, since then, more than 60,000 households have been threatened with eviction, so it’s far from clear that they can actually deliver on this.

Debbie Abrahams MP (Image: PA)

“The whole situation with Section 21 evictions illustrates the government’s complete failure to tackle homelessness, which is having devastating consequences on thousands of families and children across the country, including here in Oldham.

“Labour would introduce a Renters’ Charter and take real action to make renting fairer, more secure and more affordable.

“We will also introduce a four-month notice period for landlords, a national register of landlords, and a host of new rights for tenants, including the right to make alterations to your home, to request speedy repairs, and to have pets.”

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Council cabinet member weighs in

Cllr Elaine Taylor, Oldham Council’s cabinet member for housing and licensing, said: “Oldham Council faces significant challenges with homelessness, and we work in collaboration with organisations across the borough to reduce the risks of people becoming homeless.

“Spiralling cost of living and unstable interest rates has had the largest impact on homelessness in Oldham.

Cllr Elaine Taylor

“The Local Housing Allowance, which subsidises the rent of our lowest income households, is now around 50 per cent less than market rents.

“This creates difficulties for tenants who rely on housing benefits to afford their rent, as they face increasing financial strain.

“Interest rate hikes pose another challenge, leading to landlords raising their rent to pass on the higher costs to tenants through rent increases.

“Rising interest rates have also prompted some landlords to stop renting altogether and they are increasingly using Section 21 notices to evict tenants, often leading to tenants being forced to find alternative accommodation or become homeless.

“The Council’s £3m We Can Help campaign which launched last year, has been supporting tenants struggling during the Cost of Living crisis.

“As well as targeted advice, there have been grants made available to help tenants who are facing eviction or need help affording their rent.

“Our Support and Inclusion team and Welfare Right team also works with residents to apply for Discretionary Housing Payments and make sure residents are accessing any income available to them.

“Council teams take proactive steps to intervene early and stop problems before they become unmanageable.

“We connect with specific groups who need extra support, like victims of domestic abuse, young people and care leavers who don't have family support.

“The Council also takes steps to empower residents to stand up against unfair treatment from landlords. We have a specialist Tenancy Relations Service helping landlords and tenants in the private rental sector, so they know their rights.

“We've noticed more cases where landlords try to evict tenants when they can't pay higher rent. In those situations, the team steps in to help advocate for tenants’ rights and prevent homelessness.

“Anyone who is at risk of becoming homeless due to the Cost of Living can contact our We Can Help team on 0161 770 7777. They can also contact our Housing Options team on 0161 770 4605. They can also contact online at https://hpa2.org/refer/OLDHAM.”

Government responds

A DLUHC spokesperson said: “Our reforms will abolish Section 21 evictions – giving tenants more security and empowering them to challenge unfair rent increases.

“Only a minority of evictions end up in the courts but we’re reforming the process to reduce delays, ensuring the new tenancy systems works for landlords and tenants."