At Thursday’s full council meeting Medway’s Conservative-run council voted against Medway Labour motion aimed at protecting Medway tenants from no-fault evictions.

The Scottish Government has already taken action against no-fault evictions, and Generation Rent’s campaign to end Section 21 is growing daily.

Section 21 means that unless tenants are on a fixed-term contract, a landlord can give a tenant two months’ notice to move out without the tenant having done anything wrong, and there is no legal recourse the tenant can take.

Cllr Naushabah Khan, Councillor for Gillingham South and Medway Labour Spokesperson for Housing, who submitted the motion said,

‘Currently, landlords are allowed to evict tenants without reason. Section 21 causes insecurity and stress for Medway residents and often discourages renters from complaining about substandard conditions.

‘The law is currently heavily weighted in favour of landlords and leaves renters vulnerable. While most of Medway’s landlords are socially responsible, rogue landlords take advantage of Section 21 and in doing so they create issues of instability, homelessness, and the need for temporary accommodation which costs the taxpayer money.

‘The lack of a permanent home has huge impacts on a person’s life chances. It’s not just about having a roof over your head, it’s about stability and feeling part of your community. With 20,000 Medway residents living in rented accommodation, we need to do more to protect their rights.’


The motion reads as follows:

This Council welcomes the campaign to end Section 21 – the clause in the Housing Act 1988 that allows private landlords to evict tenants without reason. We acknowledge the threat of a no-fault eviction causes insecurity and stress for Medway residents who rent privately and can discourage tenants from complaining about substandard housing.

This Council welcomes the action taken by the Scottish Government to restrict no-fault evictions. This Council agrees to write to the Housing Minister urging the government to abolish this unfair section of the Housing Act 1988. Further, this Council will urge our local Members of Parliament to support this campaign in Parliament.

Generation Rent campaign:

https://www.generationrent.org/end_section_21

 

 

"The lack of a permanent home has huge impacts on a person’s life chances... With 20,000 Medway residents living in rented accommodation, we need to do more to protect their rights.’ Cllr Naushabah Khan, Councillor for Gillingham South and Medway Labour Spokesperson for Housing
Cllr Naushabah Khan, Councillor for Gillingham South and Medway Labour Spokesperson for Housing
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