Landlords are rushing to remove tenants before Labour’s ban on “no-fault” evictions comes into force in May.
Tenants across the country have said they have been “chucked out like an old sofa” after receiving an eviction letter, also known as a Section 21 notice, in recent weeks.
Evictions are being ordered by both owners of individual homes and corporate landlords of large blocks of flats who appear to be in a “last-minute panic” about the new Renters’ Rights Act, which will stop them evicting people without a valid reason, The i Paper has been told.
Some say they want to put “better tenants” in place but others are trying to hike the rent before Labour’s new law makes such moves more difficult.
Landlords are keen to avoid the “hassle” of extra regulation and are considering deals to hand the running of their properties to councils and companies that accommodate homeless people and asylum seekers.
The Renters’ Rights Act will abolish Section 21 evictions on 1 May. It means landlords will no longer be able to evict tenants without providing a valid, legal reason for doing so – such as rent arrears. They may have to be prepared to go to court to prove this.
The legislation is aimed at preventing “revenge evictions” – removals carried out after renters complain or ask for repairs. Tenants will be able to appeal excessive rent increases, which have been used to try to force them out.
‘I didn’t expect to be facing homelessness’
Marcus Katz, 61, was given a Section 21 notice in mid-January, with two months notice to leave his home in Applethwaite, Cumbria.
“It’s devastating to be moving in such a panicked way,” said Katz, who was told the landlord wanted to sell the property. “I just didn’t expect to be facing homelessness at my age. I’ve lost sleep with the stress of the uncertainty of it all.”
Katz said the opportunity to rent elsewhere in the Lake District was constrained by the many short-term holiday lets in the area and by competition among renters.
“One estate agent told me a lot of Section 21s were being served at the last minute.”
David, 48, said he was given a Section 21 notice to leave his flat in Norwich earlier this week. He has until mid-May to find somewhere else.
He said he had previously raised the need for repairs in the bathroom, which led to a breakdown in the relationship with the landlord.
“It has felt like a huge kick in the teeth. To be chucked out, like an old sofa – it’s caused a lot of stress and angst,” said David, a member of the Acorn tenants’ union. “The law has already been passed. So it’s very cynical to use it before it comes into force.”
Panicking landlords trying to ‘get a better tenant’
Paul Shamplina, founder of Landlord Action, said some landlords were in a “last-minute panic” about the impact of the Renters’ Rights Act.
“Some have troublesome tenants, whether anti-social behaviour [or] trouble with rent. So they are using Section 21 notices while they still can,” said Shamplina, who provides legal advice to landlords.“Some are looking to possibly increase rent, because they know things are going to be more difficult [financially] going forward.”
Wendy Whittaker-Large, a landlord with houses in multiple occupation (HMO), who also runs the HMO Action Group – said Section 21s were being used as a way to “get a better tenant” before evictions get trickier.
“Some landlords will want different tenants, because tenants haven’t been good at paying rent regularly, they haven’t maintained the property very well, are anti-social in some way.”
She added: “Why would you want to keep a bad tenant when it’s going to be even harder to evict them after 1 May?”
Corporate landlord accused of ‘mass evictions’
One corporate property owner has been accused of attempting “mass evictions” of residents in blocks of flats in south London.
Labour councillors told The i Paper they were in touch with several residents given Section 21 notices at Britannia Point in Colliers Wood, Emerald House in New Malden and Delta Point in Croydon. The buildings are all owned by Criterion Capital.
Stuart Neaverson, a Labour councillor in Merton, said it was “horrendous” that “through no fault of their own, they find themselves being kicked out of their home”.
Andreas, 37, has been living at the 19-storey Britannia Point tower for almost three years. He said he received a Section 21 notice in mid-February, giving him until the end of April to leave.
“You try to be a good tenant, you haven’t done anything wrong – so it feels unfair and confusing that this is happening. It’s hugely annoying and frustrating.”
Andreas said he had been given a ‘no-fault eviction’ notice at his flat in Britannia Point in LondonClare, a 39-year-old resident at the three-storey Emerald House, said she also got her Section 21 letter in mid-February. “It was such a shock. I was really upset.”
She said it was “turning lives upside down” – adding that she knows several neighbours who got the same letter. “The timing is galling, because they wouldn’t be allowed to do this from May.”
A spokesperson for Criterion Capital has said “fewer than 5 per cent” of tenants have been served with Section 21 notices.
The company’s legal representatives previously told the London Centric website that 130 households in Britannia Point had been served these notices. They did not say how many people in other buildings were affected.
Dame Siobhain McDonagh, the Labour MP for Mitcham and Morden, claimed in the Commons this week that Criterion Capital was responsible for “the largest mass eviction by a private landlord in decades”.
Britannia Point in London, where 130 residents are believed to have received Section 21 eviction letters (Photo: Stuart Neaverson)A spokesperson for the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said he was “appalled” at reports of widespread Section 21 use at Criterion Capital’s buildings.
Criterion Capital is reportedly renting out some of its flats as temporary accommodation. Several London councils are using the buildings to house people on their housing waiting lists, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
“I’ve spoken to people in Britannia Point who are temporary accommodation residents, having presented as homeless to councils,” said Neaverson.
In a statement, also sent to the London mayor, a spokesperson from Criterion Capital said “routine and lawful tenancy matters” had been misrepresented and politicised.
They said a “limited number of statutory notices” have been served in full compliance with the law in respect of “periodic tenancies held by private tenants paying market rents”.
“These notices formed part of a standard asset management process to review and regularise occupation terms across parts of the portfolio.
They said claims about a “mass eviction” across London “are factually incorrect and are likely to be politically motivated”. Criterion Capital did not respond to The i Paper’s request for comment.
Landlords switching to social housing contracts
Landlord Action said some property owners were attracted to the idea of switching to temporary accommodation because the houses are easier to manage.
“The council deals with the tenant, deals with all the compliance issues, deals with void periods,” said Shamplina. “So even if it’s slightly less money, it can be less hassle for the landlord. It’s the same reason that some landlords have been attracted to asylum contracts.”
The i Paper previously reported that landlords were switching from private tenants to Home Office-backed asylum housing contracts. One said he liked the “stability of knowing you’re going to get paid every month”.
There was a small increase in Section 21 landlord repossession evictions last year, Ministry of Justice figures show. There were 11,718 such evictions in 2025, compared to 11,574 in 2024.
However, Generation Rent pointed out that landlords’ initial Section 21 claims and court orders slightly decreased in 2025. The campaign group says the use of Section 21s has been largely consistent, with no clear sign yet of a significant upsurge before the law comes into force.
Nye Jones, head of campaigns at Generation Rent, said it was “very cynical” of landlords to keep using Section 21 notices and “cause upheaval” in the lives of tenants just before the new law comes into force.
A Government spokesperson said Section 21s have threatened thousands of people with homelessness every year. “And that’s why in just a few weeks the ground-breaking Renters’ Rights Act will put a stop to that.
“Meanwhile, landlords will get clearer grounds to regain possession where needed – whether that’s to sell or deal with issues like rent arrears or anti-social behaviour,” they added.
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