Will the Conservatives deliver on their manifesto promise to ban ‘no-fault’ evictions?

Four years after Boris Johnson vowed to strengthen renters’ rights, the bill will finally see its second reading in parliament on Monday

Figures show that 71,310 households have been evicted using Section 21 notices since the bill was announced in 2019 (PA)

The Conservative Party’s 2019 manifesto promised a “better deal for renters” built around ending so-called “no-fault” evictions.

As well as scrapping no-fault evictions, the Renters Reform Bill will give tenants the right to request to keep a pet in their property, and will require landlords to sign up to a national registry.

Four years after Boris Johnson promised to strengthen renters’ rights, the bill will finally see its second reading in parliament on Monday.

Here we look at the bill, what it will mean for renters, and why it has taken so long to get to this point.

What is Section 21?

A Section 21, or no-fault, eviction gives landlords the power to remove tenants from their property with just two months’ notice.

Tenants do not have to have broken the terms of their tenancy, and can be evicted at any time outside of a fixed-term contract.

Abolishing Section 21 evictions is seen as the most radical aspect of the bill, attracting praise from housing groups but sparking fears among landlords.

Is Rishi Sunak going to ban Section 21 evictions?

The bill promises to abolish Section 21 evictions, but in documents published last week, the government admitted this would not happen “until stronger possession grounds and a new court process is in place”.

The National Residential Landlords Association hailed the concession as a “huge win”, and critics say it gives the government a get-out clause.

But sources familiar with government planning said ministers seem genuinely committed to the ban, and are no longer “dragging their feet”.

Why is it taking so long?

Labour on Sunday night pointed to figures showing that 71,310 households have been evicted using Section 21 notices since the bill was announced in 2019.

Shadow housing minister Angela Rayner said the Conservatives’ “dither and delay” has left tenants paying “a heavy price”.

But the bill has faced heavy opposition from Tory backbenchers, many of whom are landlords themselves.

Supporters of the bill see criticism from Conservative MPs as one of the main reasons it is taking so long to pass.

So when will the bill become law?

The Renters Reform Bill will go before parliament for its second reading on Monday, one of the final stages before becoming law.

If approved by MPs, it will have to pass two more Commons stages, scrutiny by a committee, and a third reading in parliament, before being considered in the House of Lords.

It could reach the Lords by January, and is expected to finally become law by the time MPs break up for summer next July.