Last year there was a rise in ‘no fault’ evictions and more people lost their homes in Swindon, according to new figures.

A Section 21 notice allows landlords to evict tenants after giving two months notice without a reason and the government aims to ban them completely. 

The latest figures from the Ministry of Justice show county court bailiffs made 12 repossessions after a Section 21 notice was issued in Swindon in the year to June, which was up from seven the previous year.

These court evictions follow a repossession order being issued after a tenant has refused to leave the property after being served a Section 21 notice, leading landlords to apply for a further 56 ‘accelerated possession orders’ after their previous notices were ignored.

Tom Darling, director of the Renters’ Reform Coalition, said that despite the government’s pledge, renters “cannot afford to wait much longer.”

He added: “We must see legislation brought forward soon to get a grip on the situation and address the renting crisis.”

Labour’s election manifesto said the ban on Section 21 evictions would be implemented “immediately” to protect renters and “take action where the previous government has failed”, but no timeframe has been given for when people can expect to see changes.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said: "Too many people currently live with the threat of insecurity and injustice, and so we will make sure everyone can grow up in the secure housing they deserve.

"We will introduce tough new protections for renters, end no-fault evictions and raise standards to make sure homes are safe for people to live in."

The government has said it will "level decisively the playing field between landlord and tenant by providing renters with greater security, rights and protections and cracking down on the minority of unscrupulous landlords who exploit, mistreat or discriminate against tenants".

Across England and Wales, the number of repossessions reached the highest level in six years.

In 2023-24, there were 32,789 no fault eviction claims submitted to courts across the country – the highest figure since 2015-16.

Meanwhile, the number of repossessions rose by nearly 24 per cent last year to 10,802, the highest figure in six years.

But the true number of Section 21 notices issued is likely to be higher because these figures only include instances where the tenant has not left the property after two months.

The National Residential Landlords Association said the system which replaces Section 21 notices must be “fair, workable and sustainable for both responsible landlords and renters.”