Mayor Rokhsana Fiaz has said the Government’s decision today to extend by four weeks the eviction ban that was introduced to protect tenants hit by the Covid-19 crisis but which was due to end on Sunday, is “not long enough”.
Landlords in England and Wales were banned in March, extended in June, from evicting tenants and repossessing properties following the outbreak of coronavirus. Once the ban is lifted, now scheduled for 20 September, under current law, anyone with two month's rent arrears can be evicted through the courts.
Mayor Fiaz said: “In Scotland the ban is being extended to March 2021, yet households in England and Wales are still left facing dire situations. The ban should not be lifted until the Government has a credible plan to ensure no one is at risk of losing their home because of coronavirus. The temporary extension simply isn’t long enough."
Mayor Fiaz was one of 75 Labour mayors and council leaders from across the country who signed a letter to Robert Jenrick, Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, calling on the Government to extend the ban. The letter urged the Government to fulfil a promise that “no renter who has lost income due to coronavirus will be forced out of their home”.
Mayor Fiaz said: “At the beginning of lockdown, the Government pledged no one who has lost income due to Covid-19 would be forced out of their homes. However, we have barely restarted the economy, thousands of people are still unable to work normally, and many more remain on furlough, which is already winding down and will end in October. Despite this the Government intends pressing ahead with the ending of the eviction ban in four weeks.
“Housing charities are warning that 230,000 people could lose their homes due to evictions. I too am worried about the ‘tsunami of evictions’ that Mayor of London Sadiq Khan warned of recently. The last thing we want is for local authority housing services overwhelmed by a flood of people onto the streets. Here in Newham, we have worked tirelessly to house more than 200 people who were homeless or rough sleeping at the beginning of lockdown. It is unfathomable that at a time when people are still dying from Covid-19, the economy is on its knees, and we are desperately trying to avoid a second wave lockdown, that the Government wants to end the eviction ban and risk a fresh wave of homelessness. It would be a tragedy if many more people find themselves on the streets due to being evicted. The eviction ban must be extended.”
More than half of Newham’s residents live in privately rented accommodation. More than 60% of private tenants in the borough also pay their rent without support, for example with no support from Housing Benefit or Universal Credit, yet many are economically vulnerable with insecure employment situations. In Newham due to the impact of Covid-19, 102,000 residents are on furlough or unemployment benefits. Based on the Government’s current economic scenario, 42,000 jobs in Newham could go in the next recession.
Landlords or agents must follow the correct procedures to end a tenancy, otherwise they may be prosecuted for illegal eviction or harassment, which is a criminal offence. They must give tenants either a written Section 8 notice or a Section 21 notice under the Housing Act 1988.
A Section 8 notice operates under Section 8 of the Housing Act and is served on a tenant by a landlord wishing to regain possession of a property, commonly as a result of rent arrears of at least two months or more. Landlords must give tenants a valid Section 8 and go to court to obtain a possession order and warrant for possession. Newham Council will be writing to more than 17,000 private rented sector landlords and managing agents responsible for more than 38,000 licensed properties in relation to the correct procedures.
In a video message to residents Mayor Fiaz said: “I want people in Newham to live free from the fear of a rogue landlord. We are not anti-landlord, but we are anti-criminal landlord. If you rent in Newham and are worried about the ending of the eviction ban, we have schemes in the borough to support and protect you.”
Mayor Fiaz wants the Government to scrap Section 21 of the Housing Act, which enables private landlords to repossess their properties without having to establish fault on the part of the tenant. It is sometimes referred to as the ‘no fault’ ground for eviction.
The Mayor added: “The Government pledged to scrap Section 21 more than a year ago, honouring a pledge made by previous Prime Minister Theresa May. I urge them to do so as a matter of urgency."