Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what deterrents are in place to stop rogue landlords illegally evicting a tenant.

Tenants are protected from illegal eviction through the Protection from Eviction Act 1977, the Housing Act 1988, and the retaliatory eviction provisions in the Deregulation Act 2015. Under the Eviction Act 1977, local authorities have the power to prosecute landlords in the criminal courts who break the law.

We want to go further, and we recently announced that we will abolish ‘no-fault’ evictions by repealing section 21 of the Housing Act 1988. By ending ‘no fault’ evictions, landlords will always have to provide a reason for ending a tenancy. This more secure tenancy framework will give tenants greater confidence that they can complain about problems with their home without the fear of eviction.