The Law Society has called for a £4.3m boost to legal aid for renters who face eviction.
The call comes after Section 21 evictions hit their highest level since June 2016, after 8,425 households in England were taken to court under the law between July and September, the Ministry of Justice reveals.
The latest data shows an increase from the 8,317 between April and June, and the highest since April to June 2016, when 9,330 were affected.
Section 21, also called ‘no fault’ evictions, are where landlords in England do not need to provide a reason for evicting the tenant and move the on within two months.
Former Chancellor Jeremy Hunt cut capital gains tax on residential property in March, which appears to have prompted some landlords to put their properties up for sale, and evict their tenants in the process.
While the Renters’ Rights Bill will outlaw evictions that are not made with a valid reason, selling the home will be a valid ground for eviction.
Law Society president Richard Atkinson says: “The rising number of eviction orders reflects the alarming state of our housing crisis and the urgent need for rental reform.
Atkinson adds: “The cost-of-living crisis has meant that renters are increasingly at risk of losing their homes. When faced with repossession, renters should be entitled to legal representation and access to justice.
“However, an underfunded justice system has denied renters a fair chance in court due to lack of legal aid.”
The Law Society adds that 25.3m people do not have a local legal aid provider for housing advice.
Atkinson says: “While we welcome the government’s Renters’ Rights Bill, it will struggle to achieve effective rental reform without funding the justice system and legal aid.
“The government must immediately invest £4.3 million in housing legal aid alongside the Bill to close this gap in provision.”
Generation Rent has also called on the government to swiftly introduce longer periods of protection for tenants, and require landlords to compensate tenants forced to to move.
Generation Rent chief executive Ben Twomey says: “Encouraging landlords to sell when their tenants have no protections and face having to find a new home with no support was an utterly reckless decision by Jeremy Hunt. Today’s numbers show that it has led to yet more renters’ lives being uprooted.”
“While the Renters’ Rights Bill will rightly give tenants four months’ notice to move if their landlord sells up, renters will still have to raid savings or borrow money to fund a move for their landlord’s convenience.”
“Where tenants face eviction for reasons beyond our control, we need more time in our homes and financial support with the costs of moving.”
The National Residential Landlords Association and the Housing Select Committee, in the last parliament, have also previously warned that courts risk becoming “overwhelmed” with possession claims after Section 21 is ended unless they are properly funded.
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