LONDON - Tens of thousands of renters could lose their homes as the ban on evictions ends today. The emergency legislation protected anyone served with an eviction notice during the pandemic in England and Wales with a six-month notice period.
Without it, landlords can take tenants to court if they cannot pay their rent and ultimately make them homeless. Campaign group Generation Rent say up to around 55,000 households in England, who were served notices between March and August, were not protected by the ban and need further help.
Labour has called for protective measures to be extended and warned of a winter homelessness crisis. Shelter chief executive Polly Neate has said renters served notice before August could still face automatic eviction from Monday, while for those served notice after August ‘the measures simply delay the threat of homelessness’.
A 26-year-old tenant from Warwickshire, who asked to remain anonymous, said she was given notice by her landlord on April 2 for September 30. But she has found it difficult to find a new home as she is a DSS tenant, meaning she is on benefits.(FA)