Figures show evictions rose 11pc as landlords rushed to take back properties ahead of new law
Daily Telegraph 12/11/26
Labour has admitted the Renters’ Rights Act caused a surge in evictions despite previously insisting tenants were not at risk.
An official report published on Thursday revealed eviction orders increased by 11pc between July and September compared with the same period in 2025 as landlords scrambled to use Section 21 powers before they were abolished.
The data show around 2,000 more households in England and Wales were served notices in the run-up to the reforms becoming law.
A Ministry of Justice report measuring court actions by landlords stated the Renters’ Rights Act was “likely” to blame for a rise in possession claims for rental properties filed with courts.
It called into question assurances made by Matthew Pennycook, the housing minister, that the Government did “not expect a spike” in Section 21 notices.
The notices – also known as “no-fault evictions” – are letters landlords previously gave to tenants before an eviction. Labour banned landlords from using them in an effort to give renters greater stability.
In April, Mr Pennycook responded to a parliamentary question by denying there would be more evictions as a result of the measures, citing data from late last year showing there had been decreases in evictions.
But those same numbers have undermined his comments. The claims landlords made to evict tenants rose from 23,319 to 28,249, an increase of 21pc, in July-September compared to the same period last year, while eviction orders rose from 18,243 to 20,196, an 11pc increase.
There was also a rise of two thirds in fast-track evictions, around four to eight weeks faster than conventional evictions, as landlords rushed to react to the new laws.
Katie Lam, the shadow housing secretary, said the figures “expose the damaging consequences of Labour’s botched Renters’ Rights Act” and that renters were “bearing the cost”.
Ms Lam added that Labour had “promised that this legislation would make renting fairer and more secure. Instead, we’ve seen a huge spike in accelerated possession claims, up by more than two thirds, as landlords rushed to leave the market before the new rules came into force.”
Under transitional rules for the Renters’ Rights Act, landlords had until April 30 to serve tenants with a Section 21 notice and must have begun court proceedings by the end of July.
Because of a backlog in cases, the increase in evictions during this period has only now become apparent. Chris Norris, of the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) trade body, said it showed the legal system “was not ready for reforms”.
He added: “Landlords have long warned that they would be forced to end tenancies as a result of reforms and this is the inevitable consequence.”
Brett Dixon, of the Law Society, said the figures showed that “landlords rushed to repossess their properties before tighter controls took effect” and that Britain’s courts were “not appropriately resourced” to deal with the resulting surge in cases.
There is evidence landlords are quitting the rental market, squeezing the supply of available new lets and increasing rents in response to the new laws. Tenants are also using new powers to dispute rent increases in court, with judges reportedly ‘setting’ prices.
Between June and September this year, 562 properties left the private rental sector every day, according to property consultancy TwentyCi. This compares with 495 a day during the same period last year and just 167 at the start of the decade.
Rents increased by 0.8pc in the three months leading up to the reforms and rose by a further 1.2pc in the three months afterwards, according to analysis of Office for National Statistics data by The Letting Partnership.
A government spokesman said: “Today’s statistics show actual landlord repossessions fell by 10pc compared with the same period last year following our Renters’ Rights Act, which gives 11 million renters greater rights and security in their homes.
“The rise in Section 21 eviction claims after May 1 was because of a transition period in which landlords had until July 31 to bring cases to court – and these figures show exactly why we acted to end these no-fault evictions.”
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