Government confirms it will put an end to no-fault evictions

The government has confirmed that it will provide tenants with more protection by abolishing no-fault evictions.

It will also provide renters with a new lifetime deposit scheme, making the process of moving home easier and cheaper for millions.

The measures were announced in the Queen’s Speech at the opening of the new parliament, with ministers describing them as a revolutionary way to restore fairness, honesty and transparency to the heart of the housing market.

Ministers point out that more than 4 million people live in the private rented sector, yet when moving home, some tenants can find it a struggle to provide a second deposit to their new landlord – risking falling into debt or becoming trapped in their current home. 

Under the new plans, the tenancy deposit paid by renters will move with them from property to property – giving them more control and allowing them to retain more of their money.

Proposals to abolish no-fault evictions mean landlords will no longer be able to uproot tenants from their homes at short notice for no good reason – bringing greater security to millions of families who live in rented accommodation.

However, this will be matched with new powers to strengthen the rights of landlords to gain possession of their property through the courts when they have a clearly valid reason to do so, in order to create a fair market where good and responsible landlords flourish.

The government is expected to release more details about the proposals over the coming months.

We shall keep clients informed of developments.

Please contact Jonathan Carr if you would like more information about the issues raised in this article or any aspect of commercial property law.