Briefing: Insecurity in the private rental market

The Private Rented Sector (PRS) in England is home to 11 million people, including 2 million children and 745,000 older people. Legislation has failed to keep pace with the changing market. Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions mean that most private renters could be evicted at any time for no reason whatsoever.

Key Recommendations:

1. Government must bring forward a comprehensive Renters’ Reform Bill to overhaul the
sector’s outdated legislation, providing renters with security of tenure;

2. The Renters’ Reform Bill much abolish Section 21 and ensure that landlords can only evict
when they can prove a legitimate reason;

3. The Bill must also create a centralised National Landlord Register to improve accountability and ensure legal standards are met.