Call to end landlords' right to kick out Milton Keynes renters for no reason

More than 670 Milton Keynes families are homeless and in temporary accommodation, with many of them put in that position by private landlords who turf them out for no reason, says a concerned councillor.
Homelessness in Milton KeynesHomelessness in Milton Keynes
Homelessness in Milton Keynes

Now Cllr Emily Darlington has had enough of the so-called ‘no fault’ evictions and has proposed a motion for tomorrow’s (Wednesday) full MK Council to call for the abolition Section 21 of the 1988 Housing Act.

She is also calling on “all Milton Keynes Council councillors who are landlords not to use Section 21 no-fault eviction notices on their tenants and state publicly they will not do so.”

Cllr Darlington (Labour & Co-operative, Bletchley East) says Section 21 notices are now the major cause of homelessness in Milton Keynes. The figure of 671 people, which has been rising, includes “hundreds of children” with the majority of families in temporary accommodation and homeless being in work.

Homelessness in Milton KeynesHomelessness in Milton Keynes
Homelessness in Milton Keynes

Cllr Darlington, in her motion, says: “Milton Keynes was built on a promise of improving the quality of life of residents, people that moved here and for future generations. Increasingly hardworking people, through no fault of their own, are being made homeless because of a lack of rights for those in private rented accommodation.”

She says that after fixed terms of between six months and a year, landlords can evict their tenants with just two months’ notice, without giving them a reason. Before 1988 renters had much greater security and it was difficult for landlords to evict tenants who paid the rent on time and looked after the property.

Cllr Darlington’s motion claims that abolishing Section 21 would help to make renting more secure, improve standards, increase tenant confidence and ultimately contribute towards making renting a viable long-term alternative to home ownership or social rent.

If the motion is supported tomorrow the council would support the “End Unfair Evictions” campaign and call on the city’s two MPs to state their support for the abolition of Section 21 and to unfair evictions.