Section 21: Landlords want 'fast track housing tribunal'

A survey of landlords has found that 39% would like to see a fast track housing tribunal introduced if and when the government scraps the Section 21 evictions process.

The majority of landlords (84%) said they felt the maximum time from serving notice to taking possession of a property should be no longer than eight weeks. 

Meanwhile, a quarter of respondents called for a shorter process, 15% said they would like a guaranteed way to cover their costs and 7% argued for the ability to submit evidence online.

The findings come as part of Paragon's PRS Trends Report for Q2 2019, which spoke to over 200 landlords.

The government announced its controversial plans to scrap the Section 21 evictions process - which allows landlords to regain possession of their property without providing a reason - in April.

It has proposed that landlords instead follow the Section 8 process which requires them to demonstrate that tenants are in breach of their rental agreement when serving notice.

There is expected to be a further government consultation on the proposed scrapping of Section 21 at some point this year. 

"Some of the main concerns for landlords around a move to the Section 8 eviction process relate to the efficacy of the existing court process," says John Heron, director of mortgages at Paragon.

"What we see here is widespread support for a fast track housing tribunal that can deliver a fair and timely solution for both landlords and tenants."