A huge amount of Section 21 notices are currently being filed according to Dutton Gregory Solicitors. The firm said there’s been a spike since the announcement of the planned abolishment of Section 21 in the Renters’ Reform Bill, while if this trend continues corporate landlords will begin to dominate the sector.

As a result of the proposed abolition, the Government has said the grounds of Section 8 will be strengthened to allow landlords to recover their property. However, this hasn’t offered peace of mind to many buy-to-let owners.

Gina Peters, at Dutton Gregory Solicitors, said: “Our increase in workload hasn’t gone unnoticed, and we feel many private landlords are now suddenly serving Section 21 notices as a safety precaution. The current socio-economic situation has seen inflation, mortgages, and interest rates soar, which is having a knock-on effect on housing stock and forcing rental payments to go up.

“This has left many landlords in a tricky position, as they want to retain their property and make a profit but fear they could potentially go for months without receiving rent if a tenant defaulted. Many would now rather serve a notice – while they still can – with the intention of selling their property and exiting the rental market.”