London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Aug 08, 2025

Government unveils 'once-in-a-generation' renting shake-up - including ban on 'no-fault' evictions

Government unveils 'once-in-a-generation' renting shake-up - including ban on 'no-fault' evictions

The Conservative Party initially promised to ban the evictions in their 2019 election manifesto, but Housing Secretary Michael Gove has only just announced the plans.
Plans to scrap "no-fault" evictions in England have been unveiled as part of a long-awaited overhaul of the private rental sector.

The Renters' (Reform) Bill was published on Wednesday - three-and-a-half years after the government was elected with a manifesto promise to stop the practice.

No-fault - or Section 21 - evictions allow landlords to take back possession from tenants without giving a reason.

Housing Secretary Michael Gove said this was allowing rogue landlords to intimidate tenants into staying silent about disrepair and "no one should be faced with eviction for speaking out".

However, critics say there is nothing in the bill to stop landlords effectively forcing people out by hiking up rents, which have reached a new record high across Britain.

There is also concern that new powers which make it easier for landlords to evict anti-social tenants, with reduced notice periods for "irresponsible" renters, will be used as a cover to evict people.

Speaking from Teddington after visiting a renter who had been threatened with eviction, Mr Gove said a new ombudsman will be set up to oversee dispute resolutions, including whether rent rises are unfair.

Asked what the bar will be for anti-social behaviour, he said: "The courts decide what anti-social behaviour is. We are not talking about being disagreeable, we are talking about a sustained pattern of behaviour that makes life a misery for your neighbours."

As well as ending no-fault evictions, the bill will seek to give people the legal right to request having a pet in their home. Landlords will have to consider these requests, and won't be able to unreasonably refuse.

The plans will impact 11 million tenants and two million landlords in England, according to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC).

Other measures in the bill include plans to make it illegal for landlords and agents to impose blanket bans on benefits claimants or families with children.

It will also apply home quality standards to the private sector for the first time.

Mr Gove insisted standards would not be reduced for asylum seeker accommodation, after safety concerns were raised over plans to remove landlord licensing requirements in order to move people out of hotels and into private housing.

Former prime minister Theresa May first promised to ban no-fault evictions in April 2019 while the Conservatives' manifesto in December 2019 included a commitment to abolish Section 21 no-fault evictions.

The DLUHC has previously said it would introduce the Decent Homes Standard to the sector which will make sure privately rented homes are "safe and decent".

It added that under it, "providers of social housing must take action if hazardous levels of damp and mould are found in properties".

Some campaigners have described the bill as a "once-in-a-generation" announcement - although there are warnings some property owners will still find ways to skirt the laws, such as by using large rent hikes to force unwanted tenants out.

Dan Wilson Craw, acting director of campaign group Generation Rent, said: "Abolishing [no-fault evictions] will take away much of the stress of renting and improve communication and trust between tenants and landlords."

But Siobhan Donnachie, spokeswoman for the London Renters Union, branded the bill "long overdue" and said "inflation-busting rent" will mean renters will still feel insecure.

She warned: "For the many families struggling with housing costs at the moment, a 20% rent hike is simply a no-fault eviction under a different name.

"If the government is serious about bringing renters security in our homes, it must recognise how insecure renters feel speaking out against unsafe housing or planning for the future with the threat of inflation-busting rent increases hanging over our heads."

Battersea Cats and Dogs Home believes the proposed law will significantly reduce the number of animals being "needlessly separated from owners" - and could allow millions of renters to enjoy pet ownership in the future.

And Owen Sharp, chief executive of Dogs Trust, said the reforms are a "potential gamechanger" for responsible dog owners who rent.

Lisa Nandy, the shadow housing secretary, said Labour would go further, with plans to introduce "a four-month notice period for landlords, a national register of landlords, and a host of new rights for tenants - including the right to make alterations to your home, to request speedy repairs, and to have pets".
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
OpenAI Launches GPT‑5, Its Most Advanced AI Model Yet
Embarrassment in Britain: Homelessness Minister Evicted Tenants and Forced to Resign
President Trump nominated Stephen Miran, his top economic adviser and a critic of the Federal Reserve, to temporarily fill an open Fed seat
The AI-Powered Education Revolution: Market Potential and Transformative Impact
Chikungunya Virus Outbreak in Southern China: Over 7,000 Hospitalized
French wine makers have seen catastrophic damage to vines that were almost ready to be harvested after the worst fires in more than 70 years burned through the south of the country
US Lawmaker Probes Intel CEO’s China Ties Amid National Security Concerns
Brazilian President Lula says he’ll contact the leaders of BRICS states to propose a unified response to U.S. tariffs
Trump Open to Meeting Putin as Soon as Next Week, with Possible Trilateral Summit Including Zelenskiy
Katy Perry and Justin Trudeau spark dating rumors, joining high stakes world of celeb-politician romances
US envoy Steve Witkoff arrived in Moscow to seek a breakthrough in the Ukraine war ahead of President Trump’s peace deadline
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Nine people have been hospitalized and dozens of salmonella cases have been reported after an outbreak of infections linked to certain brands of pistachios and pistachio-containing products, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada
Karol Nawrocki Inaugurated as Poland’s President, Setting Stage for Clash with Tusk Government
Trump Signals JD Vance as ‘Most Likely’ MAGA Successor for 2028
US Charges Two Chinese Nationals for Illegal Nvidia AI Chip Exports
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
U.S. Tariff Policy Triggers Market Volatility Amid Growing Global Trade Tensions
Tariffs, AI, and the Shifting U.S. Macro Landscape: Navigating a New Economic Regime
Representative Greene Urges H-1B Visa Cuts Amid U.S.-India Trade Tensions
U.S. House Committee Subpoenas Clintons and Senior Officials in Epstein Investigation
Sydney Sweeney Registered as Republican as Controversial American Eagle Ad Sparks Debate
Trump Accuses Major Banks of Politically Motivated Account Denials and Prepares Executive Order
TikTok Removes Huda Kattan Video Over Anti-Israel Conspiracy Claims
Trump Threatens Tariffs on India Over Russian Oil Imports
German Finance Minister Criticizes Trump’s Attacks on Institutions
U.S. Proposes Visa Bond of Up to $15,000 for Some Applicants
U.S. Farmers Increase Lobbying Amid Immigration Crackdown
Elon Musk Receives $23.7 Billion Tesla Stock Award
Texas House Paralyzed After Democrats Walk Out Over Redistricting
Mexican Cartels Complicate Sheinbaum’s U.S. Security Talks
Mark Zuckerberg Declares War on the iPhone
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
Tesla Seeks Shareholder Approval for $29 Billion Compensation Package for Elon Musk
Nvidia is cutting prices on its RTX 50-series graphics cards after sales slowed and inventories piled up
Ghislaine Maxwell Transferred to Minimum-Security Prison Amid Ongoing DOJ Discussions
U.S. Tariffs Surge to Highest Levels in Nearly a Century Under Second Trump Term
Matt Taibbi Slams Media for Role in Russiagate Narrative
Pilots Call for Mental Health Support Without Stigma
All Five Trapped Miners Found Dead After El Teniente Mine Collapse
Ong Beng Seng Pleads Guilty in Corruption Case Linked to Former Singapore Transport Minister
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
Italy Fines Shein One Million Euros for Misleading Sustainability Claims
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
Declassified Annex Links Soros‑Affiliated Officials and Clinton Campaign to ‘Russiagate’ Narrative
×