Almost 20,000 tenants were evicted in the final month before the Renters’ Rights Act came into force, new research has found.

Analysis of 150,000 tenancies by shared living platform COHO suggests that the reforms drove an additional 73,900 evictions since 2023, as landlords took action ahead of the ban on Section 21 “no-fault” evictions from May 1.

In the final countdown to the new rules, evictions peaked with 27% of tenants, or one in four, served notice in the month before the May 1 deadline.

COHO co-founder Vann Vogstad says: “Landlords aren’t looking for perfect tenants, they’re looking for tenants who can pay the rent and live without causing issues. In most cases, they’ll give people the benefit of the doubt for quite some time.

“Section 21 gave landlords a safety net.

“It allowed them to stick with tenants through arrears or challenges, knowing there was a final route if things didn’t improve.

“Removing that option has understandably changed behaviours.

“What we’re seeing isn’t landlords evicting for the sake of evicting; it’s landlords responding to a shift in risk.

“Without Section 21, dealing with serious arrears or anti-social issues can take months, so some have had to act ahead of that change.

“It’s important to remember that landlords don’t want empty properties. Rental income is what makes the investment viable.

“Many are still choosing to work with tenants that owe them rent, hoping situations improve, rather than issuing notice.

“Ultimately, the removal of no-fault evictions will likely make landlords more cautious and selective, which may have wider impacts across the rental market.”