IEA Communications Officer Harrison Griffiths has written for CapX analysing the unintended consequences of the government’s decision to ban no-fault evictions and tackle discrimination against prospective tenants.

Harrison wrote:

“Banning no-fault evictions may boost security for existing renters, but there are significant trade-offs for those who want to move or enter the rental market for the first time. Making it harder for landlords to evict will ultimately make it harder to rent, as they exacerbate the risk of renting out properties.

“The groups suffering most acutely from the housing shortage like students, young professionals, recent immigrants, and those on low incomes, are likely to suffer. It will be harder to rent for those who don’t have much in savings or wealthy parents willing to be guarantors.

“Not only will these measures lead to more selective landlords and higher rents, they will also lead to unseen effects like dissuading potential landlords from entering the private rented sector at all. Rising interest rates, the growing red tape burden, tax increases, and the costs of pandemic-era eviction bans are already seeing landlords leave the market.”

Read Harrison’s full piece here.