A Manchester charity reported that it has been distributing sleeping bags and other forms of emergency relief to families that have received a section 21 notice-about the no-fault type of eviction.

Now, a manager at the Oasis Centre in Gorton has reported that it is seeing many more people that bailiffs have evicted after receiving a section 21 notice. A form of eviction – sometimes referred to as a no-fault eviction – enables landlords to hold legal right to bring an end to a tenancy without cause, leaving vulnerable tenants with nowhere to go.

Massey said that nowadays, people are showing up to the Oasis Center hours ahead of its official opening time hoping to get help since “they have nowhere else to go.” East Manchester is home to one very important resource for homelessness prevention and for help with eviction. Massey said that even many line up outside the centre three hours before it opens in hopes of getting help.

Manchester City Council says that anyone at risk of homelessness should get in touch with the council immediately to consider stopping an eviction. This after an analysis of BBC shows that there is a staggering increase in the number of landlords applying for court orders for possession in the North West of England. The section 21 eviction applications in the first quarter of 2024 surged by over 22 percent compared to last year’s corresponding period.

A Growing Crisis of Homelessness in Manchester
The Oasis Centre, which offers housing advice and emergency support to local residents, has been on the frontline of this growing crisis. “People are coming to us with suitcases and personal belongings after being evicted,” Massey said, describing how families like Solange’s, a mother of two, have been left with nowhere to go after receiving a no-fault eviction notice.

Solange described how she and her children had been living in the property for five years, but are now homeless with no alternative support and family accommodation available in the area. In response, the Oasis Centre has been providing sleeping bags and emergency clothing provision for families facing urgent need.

Manchester Council Working to Address Homelessness
This is a significant burden in the city, added councillor Joanna Midgley, deputy leader of Manchester City Council, given the numbers recorded within the city. Manchester recorded the second-highest number of homeless applications in 2023, with cases amounting to 6,354. Growing pressure on the housing system makes it rather urgent to deal with such evictions.

On average, says Midgley, it takes the council seven months to repossess a house after giving the tenant a section 21 notice. Scant time, therefore, is left to families with people like Solange seeking alternative provision. Under the looming threat of homelessness, the council has asked those at risk of being evicted to reach out soon for homelessness prevention support.

As he put it, “We want to help people before they reach crisis point. Our goal is to prevent evictions and keep families in their homes.”

The tenant’s problems
Adam Vinten, who lives in Toxteth, Liverpool, isn’t faring much better on the section 21 eviction front. For the former professional dancer, this has been the fourth eviction in four years, and he confessed to bearing both emotional and financial stress. “It really, really hard to find a new place to live, especially with landlords now demanding six to twelve months’ rent upfront,” said Vinten.

Vinten, who relies on disability benefits to survive, has nerve diseases. He says he cannot afford the big up-front payments now demanded by many landlords. Financial stress and uncertainty over renters’ rights have left him little hope for the future.

Demand for Reform and Legal Protection for Renters
This comes at a time of increasing calls for stronger tenant safeguards on issues like no-fault evictions. A Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities spokesperson repeated the government’s commitment to abolishing section 21 evictions. “The Renters (Reform) Bill is progressing through Parliament, and we are confident that it will achieve royal assent by the end of this parliamentary session.”.

But some landlords fear the new ban. Ena Parkinson, who maintains more than 150 homes in Cheshire, said the section 21 notices are sometimes necessary to protect landlords’ rights, such as when they need to sell their property.