Michael Gove insists government will ban no fault evictions before election despite ongoing delays

The Housing Secretary Michael Gove has insisted the government will ban no fault evictions before the next election, despite continuous delays to the plan.The Conservative Party manifesto in 2019 pledged to ban Section 21 - which allows landlords to evict tenants without having to give a reason outside of a tenancy agreement - but the legislation still hasn’t been passed to outlaw it.Housing charities and campaigners have told ITV News they fear the ban is being quietly removed or watered down in the Renters Reform Bill currently going through Parliament.ITV News has been investigating the evictions crisis for the past 12 months and found working families being kicked out of their homes with just 8 weeks notice, despite never missing a rent payment and being good tenants.This week new data from the Ministry of Justice showed the number of no fault evictions increased by 50% last year.

The Housing Secretary however gave a guarantee on the BBC’s Kuenssberg programme that Section 21 will be outlawed this year. He said it was vital to make sure unscrupulous landlords aren’t allowed to use the practice to raise rents and evict good tenants who report legitimate problems.But Michael Gove faces significant opposition from within his own party with Conservative MPs - some of whom are also landlords - pushing hard against the plans.There also appears to be less enthusiasm for the reforms beyond Mr Gove’s department, with a view within DLUHC that Downing Street does not necessarily view the legislation as a key priority in an election year. The department is pushing hard get it through.Mr Gove was categorical this morning that Section 21 would be banned. He wasn’t just speaking to voters when he said it.

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