You are viewing 1 of your 1 free articles
Massive surge in private renters seeking help with arrears, says Citizens Advice
A national charity has said it has experienced a huge surge in the number of private renters seeking advice on rent arrears, one month before the temporary ban on evictions is set to end.
Citizens Advice’s webpage ‘Dealing with rent arrears’ received 32,992 page views between April and June this year, a 332% increase on the 7,630 views it received during the same period last year.
Meanwhile, a webpage entitled ‘Get help with renting costs’ received 40,998 views between April and June this year, up 62% from 25,254 views during the same period in 2019.
The figures have been released exactly one month before the ban on possession proceedings introduced at the start of the coronavirus crisis in March is due to end.
Last week, the government introduced new requirements on landlords that it said will support tenants when possessions proceedings resume, but campaigners warned that the measures do not give judges enough power to prevent mass evictions.
The new rules require landlords to provide the court with details of their defendant’s circumstances, including how the pandemic has affected their ability to pay rent.
READ MORE
However, under current legislation judges will not be able to take this information into consideration if a tenant is being evicted via Section 21 or Ground 8 of Section 8, as both of these grounds are mandatory.
Charities and housing bodies have been calling on the government to make amendments to Section 21 and Ground 8 in order to give judges discretion when granting these types of evictions.
Housing charity Shelter previously claimed that more than 225,000 renters are at risk of eviction when the ban lifts next month.
Separate research by Citizens Advice found that over a third (36%) of private renters have seen their income fall by 20% or more during the pandemic.
It is urging tenants facing eviction to seek advice and act quickly if they are served with a possession notice.
Dame Gillian Guy, chief executive of Citizens Advice, said: “The dramatic jump in the need for advice on rent arrears should be a warning sign for the government that many people are deeply worried about the possibility of losing their home.
“Renters have been particularly vulnerable to the economic effects of COVID-19, yet protections for them run out sooner than many of the other measures to help people struggling, including those for mortgage payers.
“Many renters won’t be in a position to repay arrears built up due to coronavirus. Without help, they risk losing the roof over their head through no fault of their own.”
