28 May, 2021 Open access
28 May, 2021 Open access
Citizens Advice calls for system of grants and government-backed loans for renters who are still financially struggling because of Covid-19
Thousands of renters are at risk of losing their home as the eviction ban in England comes to an end, Citizens Advice has said.
With the ban on most bailiff-enforced evictions due to end on Monday 31 May 2021, and the notice period landlords need to give their tenants being reduced from six to four months, Citizens Advice says that an increasing numbers of private tenants are turning to it for help.
For example, Citizens Advice data shows -
In addition, polling recently carried out for Citizens Advice shows that across the UK almost 1 in 10 private renters (8 per cent) are behind on their rent, with the average amount of arrears owed having risen by 24 per cent in the last few months to £907 in April 2021.
As a result, calling on the government to take action to support renters facing arrears due to the economic effects of the pandemic, Clare Moriarty, Chief Executive of Citizens Advice, said -
'Next week, the sticking plaster applied to the English private rented sector during the pandemic will be ripped off. Ending the eviction ban puts thousands of renters at risk of losing their home. The government should put in place a system of grants and government-backed loans for renters in England who are still financially struggling because of Covid-19.
The lack of security renters in England will face from Monday is a symptom of a longer term problem where tenants can be evicted without cause. The government has committed to ending no-fault evictions and it’s vital this is urgently enshrined in law in their forthcoming reforms to the private rented sector.'
For more information, see Housing issues surge as end of the eviction ban nears.
Our webtools: