Dozens of Milton Keynes households threatened with homelessness through "no-fault" evictions

Dozens of households in Milton Keynes were threatened with homelessness by landlords using ‘no-fault’ eviction powers, figures show.

Housing charity Shelter has urged the Government to bring forward its long-promised Renters' Reform Bill banning section 21 notices – also known as no-fault evictions – after it was revealed they increased by more than three-quarters in a year across England.

In Milton Keynes, 62 households were at risk of homelessness after being served with a section 21 notice between April and June, the latest figures from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities show.

This was an increase from 21 between January and March, and 17 recorded over the same period last year.

The figures refer to households assessed as needing council support to prevent them from becoming homeless. After being hit with a section 21 notice, renters could be left with as little as two months to find somewhere new to live, despite the landlord not needing a reason to evict them.

Across England, 5,940 households were facing homelessness due to no-fault evictions between April and June – a 76% increase compared to the same three months in 2021.

Polly Neate, Shelter chief executive, said this winter will be ‘brutal’ for tenants facing the threat of rising rents and evictions.

“Not a day goes by without our emergency helpline taking yet more calls from families being turfed out of their homes because of no-fault evictions," she said.

"Many of these families won’t be able to find another rental – and instead may spend a bleak winter trapped in emergency accommodation with nowhere to cook or eat a meal, let alone put up a Christmas tree."

She added the Government must enshrine the Renters' Reform Bill in law and protect people from the threat of homelessness.

Meanwhile, action group Generation Rent said rental reforms should ensure landlords give tenants more notice and financial support to move, as well as ensuring they have legitimate ground for eviction.

Overall, 615 households in Milton Keynes were identified as homeless or at risk of becoming homeless between April and June, compared to 441 the previous quarter, and 308 a year before.

Of those, 25 were private tenants seeking council support due to falling into arrears on their rent.