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Eviction ban is “just a sticking plaster” says landlords’ group

The government’s ban on bailiff-enforced evictions is just a “sticking plaster” and not a long-term answer for landlords and tenants.

That’s the view of Ben Beadle, chief executive of the National Residential Landlords Association.

Just before the start of the weekend Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick announced a six week extension to the current ban on bailiff-enforced evictions, with a review scheduled for February 21. 

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In response, Beadle says: “The repossessions ban is a sticking plaster that will ultimately lead to more people losing their homes. It means tenants’ debts will continue to mount to the point where they have no hope of paying them off leading eventually to them having to leave their home.

“Instead the government should recognise the crisis facing many tenants and take immediate action to enable them to pay their debts as is happening in Scotland and Wales. The objective should be to sustain tenancies in the long term and not just the short term.” 

 

And Oli Sherlock, head of Insurance at lettings platform Goodlord, says: “Many landlords are now nearing breaking point. Scores are facing financial difficulties as a result of unpaid rent and ongoing mortgage costs, with a few facing uncommunicative tenants who are refusing to vacate properties even when leases come to an end (although this is a minority of tenants).

“Unless more support is put in place for those struggling, we can expect to see a large number of landlords withdraw their lets from the housing market over the next year. This will put pressure on a vital source of housing at a time of critical need. 

“Decision makers must start thinking about how tenants and landlords alike can recover from these challenges during and following the stay on evictions.”

Want to comment on this story? If so...if any post is considered to victimise, harass, degrade or intimidate an individual or group of individuals on any basis, then the post may be deleted and the individual immediately banned from posting in future.

Poll: Is the NRLA right to join forces with others calling for financial help?

PLACE YOUR VOTE BELOW

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    When the evictions ban is finally lifted and the courts have caught up with the backlog of cases there will be a number of things that will happen:
    1. Thousands of tenants will be made homeless with no alternative accommodation
    2. LLs who have been badly affected will sell up reducing the number of available properties in the PRS
    3. Those that remain will put up their rents to cover for losses
    4. Anyone without a perfect credit history and a secure well paid job will be unable to rent.

    Surely the answer is to financially support the PRS (as is being done in Scotland & Wales) so that the arrears can be dealt with over a period of time resulting in tenants staying in their homes paying their rent and LLs remaining in the PRS.

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    The SNP are keeping quiet about this, just encouraging rent dodgers by extending the eviction ban.

     
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    • 11 January 2021 10:08 AM

    Excellent. I particularly like Points 1, 2, 3 and 4.
    And good riddance to them all.

     
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    Kicking the can down the road, at some point, maybe this year, maybe next year the non payers will lose their homes, very few landlords will want to rent to them then, better an empty property than one with a rogue tenant in it.

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    • 11 January 2021 09:53 AM

    Absolutely......The sooner the better.
    Retribution WILL be sweet.

    And we can then all look forward to these people getting saddled with a 6-year CCJ. I love that thought.

    Mark Wilson

    I read your comments and laugh! Retribution? What a stupid thing to say! Storm parliament!

     
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    Sorry Mark, really not the thing to put out in public five days after the Capital in Washington was stormed. Not even as a joke. You may wish to withdraw this comment. Quickly, would be my advice. (Democracy is such a precious thing.....)

     
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    So is eviction not retribution? Perhaps it's just desserts? Either way it will happen and people like you are making it more certain,

     
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    Not a very clever post Mark, I thought you were supposed to be an intelligent man, but then as I have always said intelligence and common sense rarely go together.

     
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    Looks like Mark and David W are really different posters after all. Now..... where's Seb gone?

     
  • Matthew Payne

    The biggest social housing crisis since the end of WW2 has already started, before we layer on the tens of thousands of section 21 evictions that may then follow. The government appears to be simply focussed on managing the pandemic at the moment plus a bit of Brexit, albeit their silence on what we can all see painfully clearly, begs the Q, why is the government not concerned about this or talking about it at least?

    Thats because I suspect they will use this opportunity to accelerate the Renters Reform Bill, hence they are not worried about a wave of evictions. Notices are 6 months anyway, and they will dovetail this with removing section 21 as we know it today. Irrespective of whether they ever planned to follow through with this 18 months ago, they cannot afford to have 30-50k or so tenants evicted when they have nowhere else to go. 2024 general election planning will already be in full swing by the time this starts.

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    I agree wholeheartedly Matthew. This is a disaster on the horizon, whichever way you look at it and whenever it comes to fruition.
    The most vulnerable in society have been supported by the private rental sector since the early 1990's, but this partnership is coming to an end.
    A combination of the inept lack of Tenant pandemic government financial housing support, and a politically motivated anti-Landlord path, based on the false narrative (in 99% of the industry) of exploitation, is about to create the biggest housing crisis since the 1950’s.
    There is a Build to Rent rescue plan, but you're wearing rose tinted glasses if you don't think this will be profit led.... and it will take 20 years to fill this impending void!
    The industry has not been broken by those in it. In the most part it has been broken by those outside, interfering to unbalance the previously fair balanced rights between a Tenant and a Landlord.
    For now, immediate financial Tenant support (with a deregulated mechanism for this to be paid direct to Landlords), coupled with a far more positive strategy of Landlord engagement is the only way forward; certainly not more rushed, ill-conceived anti-Landlord legislation.

     
  • George Dawes

    Thank you captain obvious , not you Matthew , this lot , they remind me of the FSB , all talk , no action and a monthly fee for diddly squat

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    • 11 January 2021 10:28 AM

    Official definition of "retribution":
    retribution
    /rɛtrɪˈbjuːʃ(ə)n/
    Noun:
    punishment inflicted on someone as vengeance for a wrong or criminal act.

    So, it is legitimate and the right use of the NOUN.
    I suggest that not paying rent and ignoring a signed contract is wrong, unfortunately not criminal, but should be and is definitely vengeance, which is very legal.

    So there. End of.

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    Retribution 100% To every action there is an equal & opposite reaction. My tenants already understand that there will be consequences if they decide to behave irresponsibly. Unlike others on here I have on one occasion issued a Section 21 with up to date rent but the tenant was causing damage to the property as she didn't know how to maintain a clean house. These tenant types cannot be given or trusted with high quality housing so they end up where they deserve

     
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