A Section 21, or ‘no fault’ eviction, gives a landlord the right to evict a tenant for no reason.
There is no legal defence against a Section 21. Any tenant can be evicted with 2 months notice, at any time.
We can act now to give private tenants security and protection against rogue landlords.
Shelter Cymru is Wales’ people and homes charity.
We work for people in housing need by providing free, independent, expert housing advice and we campaign to overcome the barriers which stand in the way of people in Wales having a decent, secure home.
Our housing advice has been keeping people in their homes since 1981.
Search our housing advice
Follow us on social media
Registered charity no. 515902
About us
Support us
Professionals
Sign our petition to end no fault evictions for private tenants
Under the current system, any private tenant, no matter their tenancy agreement, can be served with a Section 21 notice (a no fault eviction), which means they have to leave the property within 2 months – with no protection in law.
Elsewhere in Europe, there are strong protections for renters in place to ensure that not only can they live in a privately rented property and treat it like a home, but also to ensure that they cannot be forced to leave a property before the end of the tenancy agreement without there being a suitable reason.
Currently, renters in Wales are in a vulnerable position. For example, there is no protection for a woman who is pregnant, or has just given birth. Meaning that a 2 month eviction can be served to anyone in any situation.
The situation is even more difficult for women, who, as our research shows, are more likely to be asked for ‘sex for rent’ and more likely to put up with poor housing conditions, for fear of revenge evictions.
Our client, Gloria, moved into a rented property with her sister three years ago. Sadly, Gloria’s sister passed away in 2016, and Gloria became ill with breast cancer just a few months later.
She underwent chemotherapy throughout 2017 and even though her sick pay from work was only half of her usual wage, Gloria managed her rent payments very well. Gloria then received a phone call from her landlady, informing her that she wanted Gloria to move out in two months’ time and she was going to sell the property.
Gloria was due to have an operation for her cancer a week before Christmas, and the eviction date was for two weeks after this. Gloria explained to her landlady the situation and that she would find it difficult to find a new home and move so soon.
Three days later Gloria received the Section 21 notice in the post and had no choice but to move out. Gloria was physically, mentally and emotionally drained.
Ending these No Fault Evictions would not stop a landlord from selling the property and evicting a tenant, but would allow sufficient notice for circumstances like this, giving increased security for the hundreds of thousands of private tenants in Wales.
Amanda and her two children were looking for a home to rent in Cardiff. They viewed a property belonging to a couple who were moving abroad. The couple had previously offered the property to their son to live in, but he didn’t want to because it was run down.
Amanda asked if she could redecorate and the couple said she could. She also asked for a longer term tenancy contract to give her family some stability and the couple consented to this, giving her a two year tenancy with a one year break clause.
The couple went overseas and for the next year Amanda invested considerable time and money in making the house a home for her and her children.
After a year had passed the couple got in touch and said they were coming back to Wales to visit and they wanted to carry out an inspection.
The couple were delighted with the improvements Amanda had made and were full of praise.
The following week, Amanda was served with Section 21 notice.
The couple had activated the one year break clause because they were so pleased with the condition of the home that they had decided to give it to their son after all.
Despite being model tenants, Amanda and her two children had no choice but to leave the property that had become their family home. Amanda had to finance the move herself and was given no compensation.
Stay up-to-date with our latest campaigns, and what we are doing to prevent homelessness in Wales.
We need as many people to add their voice to the campaign as possible – help us put an end to homelessness!
We need your support to provide vital help to people facing housing problems across Wales. Please help us.
We are delighted that together, Make Renting Right has already made a difference for renters in Wales.
