Domestic abusers face eviction under proposed new housing law
Warning: This article contains discussion of domestic violence which some readers may find distressing.
Domestic abusers could be evicted from social housing without victims having to leave their homes first under proposed changes to UK law aimed at addressing what ministers have described as a 'moral failure'.
The Government says around 15,000 households in England were forced to seek new accommodation due to domestic abuse last year.
The proposed reforms would strengthen protections for victims while giving landlords and courts greater powers to remove perpetrators from social housing.
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Under current rules, landlords can usually only evict an abuser after the victim has already left the property.
In cases where a tenancy is held jointly, victims often have no choice but to end the tenancy altogether, risking homelessness.
The Social Housing Bill, due for its second reading in Parliament on Monday (1 June), would close a loophole that allows abusers to end a joint tenancy.
Under the changes, a notice to quit issued by a perpetrator would no longer automatically terminate a social housing tenancy while court proceedings are underway.
The legislation would also allow courts to transfer a joint tenancy solely into the victim's name.
Where remaining in the property is not considered suitable, landlords could be required to provide alternative accommodation.
Domestic abuse commissioner Dame Nicole Jacobs said the proposed changes marked 'an important step' in ensuring safety and stability for survivors of abuse to 'recover and rebuild free from harm'.
She said: "Sharing a social home with a perpetrator presents victims and survivors of domestic abuse with an impossible choice.
"Remaining in their home means facing further abuse, but leaving could put them at risk of homelessness and struggling financially.
"Alongside survivors and campaigners, I have been calling for action to be taken to stop perpetrators from weaponising joint tenancies – and I’m pleased to see that the Government has listened."
Housing Secretary Steve Reed said the current situation was 'a moral failure this Government is determined to end', adding that the changes 'are deeds not words that put victims first, give landlords the powers they need, and make sure perpetrators can no longer use housing as a weapon of control'.
He said: "But protecting tenants is only half the picture. We also need more social homes – and this Bill tackles the decades of sell-off that has left over a million families on waiting lists with nowhere to turn.
"Together, these reforms will make social housing safer, fairer and built to last."
If you are experiencing domestic violence, please know that you are not alone. You can talk in confidence to the national domestic violence helpline Refuge on 0808 2000 247, available 24/7, or via live chat, available 10am-10pm, Monday to Friday.
Rhiannon Ingle