Those who face being unfairly evicted from their homes could soon gain more legal support thanks to a national campaign backed by the council.

Waltham Forest Council has become the sixth council in the UK to add its name to the Generation Rent campaign fighting for no fault evictions to become a thing of the past.

Under Section 21 of the Housing Act 1988, landlords currently have the option to evict tenants with just two months’ notice once their contracts have come to an end, even if that tenant has done nothing wrong and has been paying rent on time.

Those backing the campaign believe this to be unfair, particularly seeing as the average private rental contract is between just six months to a year, leaving renters vulnerable.

Currently, half of all 18 to 35 year olds, one in four families with children and growing numbers of older people now live in private rented accommodation.

The termination of private sector tenancies has become the biggest single drive of statutory homelessness in Waltham Forest, as indeed in London and the rest of the UK.

Council representatives expect the number of evictions from private rented accommodation in Waltham Forest to go up in the next few years as the number of private rented homes is increasing across the borough.

Cllr Louise Mitchell, cabinet member for housing at Waltham Forest Council, said: “Responsible landlords play an important role in providing much needed homes for our residents. We understand that landlords should be able to evict tenants who fail to pay their rent or break reasonable tenancy conditions.

“However, simply giving two months’ notice before evicting a tenant who is paying their rent and obeying their tenancy conditions is something we think is unreasonable. Tenants are forced to find suitable accommodation quickly with little time to save to meet costs associated with moving.

“That is why we are proud to be the sixth council in the country backing this national campaign to remove S21 of the Housing Act 1988 so our residents in private rented accommodation are protected against ‘no fault’ evictions.”