Hundreds of families are being made homeless every week in “no-fault†evictions by landlords keen to cash in on rising property prices or put the rent up.
Analysis of quarterly eviction and homelessness data by the pressure group Generation Rent suggests that 216 households evicted every week in England under section 21 of the 1988 Housing Act are becoming homeless. These are known as no-fault evictions because landlords do not need a reason such as rent arrears or property damage to kick tenants out. The end of a private tenancy is now the single biggest cause of homelessness in England, with the number of cases more than trebling from 4,580 to 16,320 between 2009 and 2017.
The analysis reveals for the first time that 94% of this rise can be blamed on no-fault evictions, which have more than doubled since 2009.
This comes as the government launches a £100m strategy to end rough sleeping by 2027, after the numbers grew this decade by 168%.
Researchers found that for every 100 additional section 21 repossessions by bailiffs, 123 homelessness cases were accepted by councils (there were more homeless cases than evictions because councils are sometimes able to offer families temporary accommodation before they are formally evicted).
Nearest tube: Elephant & Castle underground station (Northern and Bakerloo lines).
Nearest Railway Station: Elephant & Castle
Buses from Elephant and Castle: ask bus driver for Burgess Park. Bus numbers: 12, 171, 148, 176, 68, 484, 42, 40, 45