NO-FAULT evictions by bailiffs in England have risen by 8 per cent in Labour’s first year in government, official data revealed today.

The party has pledged to end the practice under its Renters’ Rights Bill, now in its final parliamentary stages.

Ministry of Justice figures show that 11,402 repossessions by county court bailiffs followed a Section 21 notice — known as a no-fault eviction — between July last year and June, up from 10,576 the previous year.

Despite this, in a trend welcomed by housing campaigners, there were 2,679 evictions in the three months to June, down from 2,931 the previous quarter and 2,915 in the same period last year.

Meanwhile, 30,729 claims were issued under the accelerated procedure in the year to June — down 4 per cent from 32,103 — used by landlords if tenants remain after the date set in a Section 21 notice.

Renters’ Reform Coalition director Tom Darling said the fall in claims “blows apart the myth of a ‘landlord exodus’ and eviction surge caused by the Renters’ Rights Bill.”

But he warned amendments added in the House of Lords “would hugely undermine it,” saying: “For the Bill to make a real difference for renters, the government must take out those amendments when the Bill returns to [the Commons], then press on and abolish Section 21 immediately.”

Shelter director of campaigns Mairi MacRae branded it “unconscionable” that renters “continue to be marched out of their homes by bailiffs because of an unfair policy that the government said would be scrapped immediately.”

She said: “At the whim of private landlords, thousands of tenants are being left with just two months to find a new home, plunging them into a ruthless rental market and leaving many exposed to the riptide of homelessness.”

Ms MacRae urged the government to deliver on its commitment and implement an end date for Section 21.

For every month a ban is delayed, around 950 households could be removed by bailiffs, according to the charity’s analysis.

Crisis chief executive Matt Downie echoed calls for urgency, warning that thousands are still being “unjustly evicted” and pressed ministers to resist watering down the Bill.

He added that unfreezing housing benefit “would ensure more people can afford a safe and stable home.”

The figures follow the resignation of homelessness minister Rushanara Ali last week, after reports that she asked tenants at her London property to leave before relisting it weeks later with a £700 rent increase.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said: “No-one should live in fear of a Section 21 eviction and these new figures show exactly why we will abolish them through our Renters’ Rights Bill, which is a manifesto commitment and legislative priority for this government.

“We’re determined to level the playing field by providing tenants with greater security, rights and protections in their homes and our landmark reforms will be implemented swiftly after the Bill becomes law.”