At a recent public meeting held by Southampton council, a startling claim surfaced from a spokesperson of Citizens Advice charity, Kirsty Rowlinson. Rowlinson alleged that private landlords are resorting to serving Section 21 notices on tenants as a means to sidestep necessary property repairs.
Speaking just before the holiday season, Rowlinson highlighted, “We see quite a lot of seemingly retaliatory evictions. A tenant will ask for repairs to be carried out, and they will soon after see the landlords issue a Section 21 notice.”
She elucidated further, pointing out the legal disparities: “The legal process for getting a tenant evicted is far quicker than the legal process for getting repairs done. Landlords are aware that the tenant will likely be gone before the court case for the repairs comes through. This is what we are observing at Citizens Advice in Southampton.”
According to a report from the Southampton Daily Echo’s website, Rowlinson claimed that 45% of the 2,200 housing issues reported to the charity in Southampton in 2023 were related to the private rental sector.
Rowlinson continued by addressing the rise in sanctions, Section 21 notices, and rent arrears in Southampton: “Landlords increasingly wish to raise rents, while tenants struggle to afford the hikes. Some landlords seek to occupy the property themselves or accommodate family members, while others find themselves financially strained, unable to bear mortgage costs, and consequently opt to sell their property.”
This revelation comes on the heels of a national concern raised by Citizens Advice regarding the Renters Reform Bill. The charity criticized the Bill, claiming it still permits backdoor evictions. Their statement last year highlighted alarming statistics: “New grounds in the Renters Reform Bill will allow landlords to evict tenants just six months into a tenancy if they wish to sell a property or move family in. However, the new rules won’t demand landlords to provide evidence they have followed through on this once a tenant has left.”
Citizens Advice also sounded the alarm on the potential misuse of excessive rent increases to force tenants out, citing that last year alone, 1.8 million households either faced rent hikes or were threatened with one. Out of these, 300,000 renters were compelled to leave due to a rent increase. Shockingly, less than 10% of renters who contested rent hikes from their landlords succeeded, leaving tenants with limited and often inaccessible options.
The charity has advocated for an extension of the protection period for new tenants from six months to two years to combat these concerning trends.
As the Renters Reform Bill approaches its Third Reading in the Commons, this revelation by Citizens Advice adds urgency to the debate surrounding tenants’ rights and landlord responsibilities in the rental market.