Older private tenants living in fear of eviction, survey shows
Nearly 30% of private tenants in England aged 55+ live in fear of being evicted by their landlord, according to research from homelessness charity Shelter.
The research, which was conducted by YouGov and funded by The Co-operative Bank, is based on a survey of 4,023 privately renting adults in England, of whom 875 were aged over 55.
Researchers found 28% of private tenants over 55 – which equates to 400,000 people when extrapolated across the population – live in fear of being evicted by their landlord.
People who receive Section 21 notices have just two months to move out and their landlords do not have to give a reason for evicting them. But a third of all private renters (34%) say, the last time they moved, it took them longer than two months to find a new privately rented home.
Shelter urged the government to finally scrap no-fault evictions and protect at-risk renters from the threat of Section 21, warning that delays to the Renters (Reform) Bill are harming the health of thousands of older tenants.
Research from Shelter and The Co-operative Bank found that a quarter of renters aged over 55 say worrying about eviction is negatively impacting their mental or physical health, with 24% saying that housing problems or worries had made them feel physically sick in the past year.
The gross instability caused by Section 21 no-fault evictions means the rental sector is not fit for purpose for the growing number of older tenants who call it home. Nearly one fifth of adult private renters in England are over 55 – up by nearly a third in the past decade.
Shelter chief executive, Polly Neate, said: ‘Older renters may already be retired or planning for retirement at this point in their lives. They shouldn’t have knots in their stomachs, constantly afraid that their landlord is going to kick them out of their home for no reason.
‘We hear from hundreds of over-55s who have worked for decades in search of safety and security later in life. It’s a disgrace that so many are being stripped of a stable home by the gross injustice of Section 21 no-fault evictions.
‘Instead of forcing older renters to pay over the odds for often shoddy rentals that leave them sick with worry, the government must keep its word, and get the Renters (Reform) Bill over the line. Tenants are tired of waiting for a system that makes private renting safe and fair for all.’
Image: Allan Vega
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