One of the country’s top law groups has backed government moves to scrap Section 21. 

The call comes from the Law Society for England and Wales, in its official response to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government’s consultation on the move. 

Simon Davis, president of the Law Society, says: “Section 21 is one of the leading causes of family homelessness in the UK. In addition, because of the absence of legal aid support, many are unable to obtain the legal advice they need to enforce their rights.

“This creates an inequity of power between landlords and tenants. The rule of law should be available equally to both sides.

“There are fears that current legislation has led to so-called ‘retaliatory evictions’. For example, if a tenant has raised concerns that a landlord has failed to comply with their own legal obligations.”

The society has also fallen in behind the government’s suggestion that, in order to help landlords, there could be a widening of section 8 – the powers of a landlord to regain their property in some circumstances.

Davis adds: “There is a delicate balance to be struck between improving security of tenure and ensuring that landlords are not disincentivised from entering into longer-term fixed term tenancies.”