More than 11,000 households in England were removed from their homes by bailiffs under Section 21 “no-fault” eviction orders in the year to June 2025, despite the government’s pledge to abolish the practice.
Ministry of Justice data released last week shows 11,400 bailiff-led evictions took place between July 2024 and June 2025 – an 8% increase on the previous 12 months.
Over the same period, private landlords issued more than 30,000 Section 21 notices, which allow them to evict tenants with two months’ notice without providing a reason.
The figures come more than a year after ministers took office with a manifesto commitment to “immediately” end no-fault evictions.
RENTERS’ RIGHTS BILL
The measure is a central component of the Renters’ Rights Bill, which has completed its final reading in the House of Lords but is yet to become law.
According to Shelter, almost 1,000 households a month face bailiff eviction while the policy remains in force.
The housing charity said that the Bill’s provisions – including a ban on no-fault evictions, extended notice periods and a 12-month “no relet” rule to deter so-called “fire and rehire” evictions – would “transform private renting for the better”.
BROKEN SYSTEM
Mairi MacRae, director of campaigns and policy at Shelter, says: “It is unconscionable that more than a year after the government came to power, thousands of renters continue to be marched out of their homes by bailiffs because of an unfair policy that the government said would be scrapped immediately.
“The Renters’ Rights Bill will overhaul a broken system and usher in a long-overdue era of stability and security for tenants.
“To curb record homelessness and ensure renters can live free from the threat of no-fault eviction, the government must deliver on this commitment, pass the Bill, and name an implementation date.”
Section 21 notices have been identified as one of the leading causes of homelessness in England, with critics warning that delays in reform leave tenants vulnerable in a competitive rental market marked by record-high rents and limited supply.
