Over 32,000 households in England served with a no-fault eviction last year

• Over 116,000 households have been threatened with eviction since the ban on Section 21 evictions was first promised in 2019

New figures released today (Thursday 13th February) show that 32,287 households in England were served with a Section 21 or ‘no-fault’ eviction notice last year – a 7% increase (an increase of 2,057 households) from the previous year.

The figures from the Ministry of Justice also show:

• 7,690 households received a no-fault eviction notice between October and December 2024.
• There has been a 10% increase in households being evicted by bailiffs following a Section 21 notice in the same period, with 2,947 carried out between October and December last year.
• 37,684 households have been evicted by bailiffs following a Section 21 notice since April 2019, when the ban was first promised.

The former Conservative government committed to ending Section 21 evictions in England in 2019 through the Renters Reform Bill, but this failed to progress through Parliament before the general election last year.

The new Labour government introduced the Renters’ Rights Bill last year, which will introduce much needed protections against Section 21 evictions, as well as extending notice periods to four months for most grounds. Included in the bill are measures to restrict rent increases to once a year within an existing tenancy. However, there is still a risk that these measures will not go far enough to curb rent inflation and protect tenants from unjustifiable rent increases – putting them at risk of eviction once again.

Responding to the statistics, Matt Downie, Crisis Chief Executive, said: "Once again, these figures expose just how precarious the current housing market is for many renters. Up and down the country, people’s lives are being upended when an eviction notice lands on their doorstep. With so few genuinely affordable properties available, this situation is plunging thousands into homelessness.

“The Renters’ Rights Bill will provide tenants in England with long overdue and much needed protection from no-fault evictions, easing anxiety for renters across the country. Yet there is still work to be done. Without stronger measures, low-income households could still face unaffordable rent increases and be left at risk of homelessness – especially with housing benefit not keeping pace with the true cost of renting.

“In addition to the measures included in the bill, it’s crucial that the Government commits to investing in housing benefit so that it reflects the true costs of rents at the upcoming spending review. This has the power to prevent homelessness from rising so rapidly by ensuring that people can afford to remain in their homes.”