Petition · past parliament
COVID-19: More protection for renters!
Rejected
21 signatures
What the petition asks
In order to protect tenants from eviction and debt during the COVID-19 outbreak we call on the government for:
-An immediate and permanent end to Section 21
-A rent waiver for the duration of the crisis via an amendment to Section 8
-Extend tenancy contracts due to COVID-19 crisis.
-An immediate and permanent end to Section 21
-A rent waiver for the duration of the crisis via an amendment to Section 8
-Extend tenancy contracts due to COVID-19 crisis.
The are 20 million people renting in Britain.
It’s good news that the government has announced a ban on evictions. But the government hasn’t taken any action to suspend rent payments. While landlords are being given a mortgage holiday, huge numbers of renters who are losing their incomes will soon be clocking up huge amounts of debt in rent arrears.
Once the crisis is over, there can be no doubt that renters will be evicted because of rent arrears accrued due to COVID-19 crisis. There will be an arrears and eviction boom at the end of the emergency period and this is because Section 21 is still in place.
It’s good news that the government has announced a ban on evictions. But the government hasn’t taken any action to suspend rent payments. While landlords are being given a mortgage holiday, huge numbers of renters who are losing their incomes will soon be clocking up huge amounts of debt in rent arrears.
Once the crisis is over, there can be no doubt that renters will be evicted because of rent arrears accrued due to COVID-19 crisis. There will be an arrears and eviction boom at the end of the emergency period and this is because Section 21 is still in place.
Why it was rejected
It asked for something that is not the responsibility of the UK Government or Parliament.
The Government can change the terms under which landlords can evict tenants, but the payment of rent is a contractual matter between tenants and landlords, as is the length of tenancy agreements.
We have published a petition calling on the Government to ban evictions for one year, which you might like to sign: Give protection to renters during Corvid-19 Crisis. Ban evictions for one year.
We have also published a petition calling on the Government to encourage lenders, landlords and utilities to freeze payments during lockdown, which you also might like to sign: Encourage lenders, landlords and utilities to freeze payments during lockdown
You can find out more about coronavirus and how you can protect yourself and others here:
www.gov.uk/coronavirus
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/
The Government has also created an online service to help you out what you can do if you’re struggling because of coronavirus: https://www.gov.uk/find-coronavirus-support
You can read NHS tips to help if you are worried about coronavirus here: https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/every-mind-matters/coronavirus-covid-19-anxiety-tips
You can read impartial analysis of the Government response to coronavirus and policy developments here: https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/coronavirus/
You may also be interested to know that because of the large number of petitions that have been started in relation to coronavirus, the Petitions Committee has been questioning the Government about its response to the coronavirus outbreak.
Find out more and watch the Committee put questions suggested by petitioners to Government Ministers and the Deputy Chief Medical Officer: https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/326/petitions-committee/news/145767/committee-question-deputy-chief-medical-officer-and-ministers-on-coronavirus-response/
Read letters asking further questions of Government Ministers: https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/326/petitions-committee/publications/3/correspondence/
We have published a petition calling on the Government to ban evictions for one year, which you might like to sign: Give protection to renters during Corvid-19 Crisis. Ban evictions for one year.
We have also published a petition calling on the Government to encourage lenders, landlords and utilities to freeze payments during lockdown, which you also might like to sign: Encourage lenders, landlords and utilities to freeze payments during lockdown
You can find out more about coronavirus and how you can protect yourself and others here:
www.gov.uk/coronavirus
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/
The Government has also created an online service to help you out what you can do if you’re struggling because of coronavirus: https://www.gov.uk/find-coronavirus-support
You can read NHS tips to help if you are worried about coronavirus here: https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/every-mind-matters/coronavirus-covid-19-anxiety-tips
You can read impartial analysis of the Government response to coronavirus and policy developments here: https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/coronavirus/
You may also be interested to know that because of the large number of petitions that have been started in relation to coronavirus, the Petitions Committee has been questioning the Government about its response to the coronavirus outbreak.
Find out more and watch the Committee put questions suggested by petitioners to Government Ministers and the Deputy Chief Medical Officer: https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/326/petitions-committee/news/145767/committee-question-deputy-chief-medical-officer-and-ministers-on-coronavirus-response/
Read letters asking further questions of Government Ministers: https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/326/petitions-committee/publications/3/correspondence/
Timeline
| 27 Mar 2020 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 12 May 2020 | Rejected by the Petitions Committee |
Key facts
Signatures
21
Status
Rejected
Rejected
12 May 2020
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.