Retaliatory eviction - Citizens Advice

Making rights real: preventing retaliatory evictions in Wales5. Conclusions and recommendationsThis report presents evidence that retaliatory eviction is a problem in the private rented sector (PRS) inWales, both in terms of actual evictions and the fear of eviction that prevents many tenants exercising theirrights. Every local authority officer who took part in our survey said that they had encountered tenants whohad rejected assistance from them due to fear of reprisals, and the vast majority of officers were in favourof increasing protection in law.The need to address this problem should be considered in the context of a growing reliance on the PRS.Reduced access to mortgages, shortages in social housing, and the impacts of the economic downturnand welfare reform have all in recent years contributed to growth in the sector. The number of houses inthe PRS has more than doubled in ten years, 48 and is widely expected to continue to grow while othersectors stagnate or shrink.As noted in the Welsh Government’s Homes for Wales White Paper, 49 it is critical to ensure that the PRSbecomes a tenure of choice, where people are happy to make a home long-term, rather than feeling thatthey are stuck there due to lack of other options.It is essential to consider the needs of people living in the PRS who might in the past have been betterable to access social housing. With the prospect of the Housing Bill giving local authorities the powerto discharge the main homelessness duty with a PRS tenancy, there is a growing need for the WelshGovernment to regulate in order to protect those tenants who are most vulnerable and most in need ofstability.Wales is not alone in the world for having a private rented sector characterised by flexibility, shorttermtenancies and ‘no-fault’ evictions. However, many other countries with similar PRS markets havegot protection from retaliatory eviction in law. For example, 39 of the 50 US states have some form ofretaliatory eviction statute. Tenants are also protected from retaliatory eviction in New South Wales,Queensland, South Australia, Victoria, Western Australia, Tasmania and New Zealand. This means thatthere are tried-and-tested statutes in existence from which Wales can learn.48 From 88,539 in 2001/02 to 190,534 in 2011/12 (Source: StatsWales)49 Homes for Wales: A White Paper for Better Lives and Communities (2012) Welsh Government. par 4.1431