"A Labour-run council is using a legal loophole to issue dozens of families with no-fault evictions, despite Keir Starmer's manifesto pledge to outlaw the practice. Scrapping no-fault evictions immediately was one of Labour's main manifesto pledges before its 2024 election win, but more than a year on, the party's flagship renters' rights bill has not been made law. Local authorities cannot normally carry out no-fault evictions known officially as section 21 evictions as they apply to tenancies issued by private landlords."
"However, Lambeth council in south London has been able to start eviction proceedings against 63 households because it created an arm's-length body to manage some of its housing stock. Five families have already been issued with possession orders via the courts and two of those have had their homes repossessed by bailiffs. Another 24 have left properties voluntarily after receiving a section 21 notice."
"Internal council documents seen by the Guardian suggest that council officials have been planning to regain possession of the properties since at least 2023, but the full implementation of the scheme was delayed until after last year's election. An internal briefing document from March 2024 read: Advice received from democratic and legal services [is] that this is a key decision and it is too controversial to take during the pre-election period."
Homes for Lambeth, a group of companies wholly owned by the council, allowed Lambeth to use section 21 no-fault evictions on properties repurchased during an estate regeneration and right-to-buy buyback programme. The council started legal proceedings against 63 households: five possession orders were issued, two homes were repossessed by bailiffs, and 24 households left voluntarily after notices. Internal documents indicate planning since at least 2023 with implementation delayed through the pre-election period. Lambeth had previously urged the government to end no-fault evictions in 2019, while the Labour renters' rights bill has yet to become law.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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