Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan has called for notice periods for private rental evictions to be doubled to four months.
His proposed change would give tenants extra financial breathing space to access support and advice, pay arrears or save for a move before their tenancies end, he said.
Khan is also continuing to call for a two-year private sector rent freeze. But even if ministers choose not to implement this, longer notice periods would provide important respite for hard-pressed tenants, who often face higher rents on new tenancies, he suggested.
Khan has welcomed the White Paper A Fairer Private Rented Sector published in June. This included proposed abolition of section 21 evictions and an end to fixed term tenancies. But the Mayor said he believes these steps do not go far or fast enough to properly protect renters.
There should be an immediate emergency suspension of section 21, he said.
‘Nearly a third of Londoners are private renters, the majority of whom are set to be hit by a devastating combination of rent and bill rises in the coming months, with no sign of rampant inflation slowing down’, said Sadiq Khan.
‘That’s why I’m calling on the Government to act urgently and give Londoners breathing space by extending notice periods for tenants ahead of landlords taking possession of properties.
‘Shorter notice periods disproportionately affect vulnerable households, so I urge whoever becomes the new Prime Minister to commit to delivering on this as soon as possible, as well as giving me the power to freeze rents in London for two years until the cost-of-living crisis subsides’.
