Housing Secretary Michael Gove has reversed his promise to ban no-fault evictions before the next general election. The Conservative government had initially pledged to end the practice, which allows landlords to evict tenants without reason, five years ago. However, Gove now says that he only “hopes” the ban will be enacted before the election. Charities blame no-fault evictions for rising homelessness, and the delayed ban has drawn criticism from campaigners and opposition parties.
The government has been accused of weakening a landmark renters’ reform bill after intense lobbying from Tory landlords. The Renters’ Reform Bill, which aims to ban no-fault evictions and outlaw fixed-term tenancies, will be voted on in the Commons today. However, ministers have watered down the ban on no-fault evictions, making it dependent on unspecified future court improvements. Labour and charities have slammed the changes, accusing the government of appeasing Tory landlords at the expense of tenants.
