Manchester – The number of tenants evicted through ‘no-fault’ Section 21 notices has surged across Greater Manchester over the past year, new figures reveal.
Hundreds were forced out by bailiffs in 2023 despite a Conservative pledge to ban the practice made back in 2019.
There were 597 ‘no-fault’ evictions in the region last year, charity Shelter analysis of Ministry of Justice data shows. That is up from 316 in 2022.
Evictions plummeted during the pandemic before rebounding, with 67 in 2020 and 121 in 2021.
Landlords’ Section 21 claims in court also rose 24%, from 1,364 in 2022 to 1,691 last year. Again far higher than 425 in 2020 and 312 in 2021.
Read More: Old Bailey Reopens After Electrical Fire Shutdown
England-wide there was a 49% increase in bailiff evictions to 9,457. Shelter says over 26,000 have occurred since the ban was promised.
The charity links Section 21s to rising homelessness. They allow tenancies to end without reason on two months’ notice.
One in three tenants need over two months to find a new rental, Shelter found. Last autumn Manchester charities declared a ‘private rent emergency’.
An end to ‘no-fault’ evictions was among demanded actions as homelessness surges amid soaring rents and inadequate rights.
The Renters Reform Bill published last May included a Section 21 ban. But in October it was tied to court reforms first.
The Bill is expected back in the Commons soon. Shelter wants the government to withstand any watering down.
“Renters will remember who stood with them,” said Shelter’s Polly Neate. A government spokesperson said the Bill will deliver a “fairer private rented sector”.