The National Residential Landlords Association has warned Labour to give the industry time to prepare for the Section 21 eviction ban.
Writing ahead of the publishing of the Renters’ Rights Bill, the NRLA reiterated the need to improve the courts so they can handle Section 8 possession claims in a timely manner.
Ben Beadle, chief executive of the National Residential Landlords Association, said: “Over 4.5 million households will need tenancy agreements updating, letting agent staff and landlords will need to undertake training and insurance and mortgage providers will need to adjust policies and rates.
“None of this will happen overnight and the government needs to publish guidance.
“In addition, ending Section 21 will leave the courts needing to hear possession claims where landlords have a legitimate reason.
“The cross-party Housing Select Committee has warned that without reforms to ensure the courts process cases much more swiftly, they risk becoming overwhelmed.
“This will not serve the interests of tenants or landlords seeking justice.”
Section 21 evictions are deemed problematic by tenant groups, as they enable bad landlords to evict their tenants in revenge for demanding repairs.
However relying on Section 8 evictions can enable criminal tenants to thrive, as it takes months to be granted possession of the property, escalate the case to the high court, and then get a court-appointed bailiff to recover the home.
Beadle added: “Too often the actions of a minority of rogue and criminal landlords have brought the sector into disrepute.
“We therefore support measures to ensure every rental home is of a decent quality, and swift action is taken where standards threaten the health of tenants.
“However, this all needs to be backed up with robust enforcement by councils.”
