Labour is today renewing calls for emergency legislation to protect renters affected by coronavirus from eviction, publishing new analysis showing that six million households living in homes rented from a private or social landlord have no savings to fall back on.

Ministers have so far given no legal guarantee that renters will be protected from eviction, and the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s economic measures announced yesterday revealed some help for home-owners, but nothing for renters.

Earlier this week, Shadow Housing Secretary John Healey published draft legislation which would ban evictions due to rent arrears built up as a result of coronavirus.

John Healey MP said:

“Ministers must step up and give renters the confidence that they won’t lose their home as a result of falling ill or self-isolating because of coronavirus.

“Renters are more likely than home-owners to have no savings to fall back on so the need for clear, legal protection is particularly important.

“Labour has published draft legislation which would stop coronavirus evictions. Ministers must adopt this now.”