Theresa May pledges to abolish ‘no-fault’ eviction powers for landlords in overhaul of private rental sector

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Theresa May has pledged to overhaul the private rental sector by abolishing landlords’ powers to evict tenants at short notice and without good reason. Landlords will still be able to end tenancies when they have legitimate reasons to do so, but they will no longer be able to unexpectedly evict families with only eight weeks’ notice.” Communities secretary Mr Brokenshire said the government was “making the biggest change to the private rental sector in a generation”, adding: “By abolishing these kind of evictions, every single person living in the private rented sector will be empowered to make the right housing choice for themselves – not have it made for them. open image in gallery James Brokenshire says government is ‘making the biggest change to the private rental sector in a generation’ “Ultimately, to ensure people most vulnerable to homelessness are not left with nowhere to turn, the government must urgently address these root causes.” Generation Rent – an organisation that has campaigned for the abolishment of no-fault evictions since 2015 – said the move was “fantastic” for private renters. This needs to happen before any moves are made to end Section 21.” Labour’s shadow housing secretary, John Healey, said while any promise of help for renters is “good news”, he added: “This latest pledge won’t work if landlords can still force tenants out by hiking the rent.