According to a recent study conducted by Shelter, an organisation which exists to assist people in housing emergencies, notices pursuant to Section 21 of the Housing Act 1988 (as amended), are served on tenants in the private rented sector every 8 minutes which is the equivalent of 172 Section 21 notices per day.
The survey conducted by YouGov for Shelter shows that almost a fifth of private renters in England, made up of 11 million people, have had to move 3 - 4 times over the last 5 years.
In May of 2019 the government introduced the Renters (Reform) Bill which promises to fulfil the Conservative's manifesto of abolishing Section 21 notices. Over 4 years later, the Bill is only on its second reading in the House of Commons despite promises that it will receive Royal Assent by the end of 2023.
However, the Bill seems to have had an undesired effect to some extent, by causing many landlords to sell their properties and recover possession through the utilisation of Section 21 notices due to viewing the Bill as an attempt to remove the power of landlords. Those tenants served with a Section 21 notice may be forced to rely upon Social Housing which, according to Polly Neate, Shelter's Chief Executive, is not adequately available, and therefore leaves such tenants in a hostile situation.
Shelter has called for the Bill to return to Parliament as soon as it begins sitting again after the summer.
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