Rental reform campaigners have staged a protest outside Michael Gove’s official residence in central London, calling on the housing secretary to implement his promised Section 21 evictions ban.

The protest, organised by the London Renters Union, featured heavy criticism of the Tory MPs who have tabled amendments to the Renters (Reform) Bill, accusing them of ‘watering it down’.

Banning Section 21 evictions will stop landlords being able to evict tenants without giving a reason, a measure that’s within the Bill.

It is waiting for its report stage and third reading in parliament which the Government has previously promised would take place this week.

But the London Renters Union, along with other groups including Shelter and the Renters Reform Alliance, are unhappy that the Bill is taking so long to become law, and are particularly angered by the amendments.

Courts improved

The MPs believe a Section 21 ban should not be implemented until money is spent improving the courts system, which the Ministry of Justice’s own figures show are taking six months to process evictions.

The London Renters Union claims all of the UK’s 11 million renters back their demands for Section 21 evictions to be banned ‘immediately’ and has blamed the ‘landlord lobby’ for weakening the Bill.

All these points were made during the demonstration outside Gove’s ‘grace and favour’ home in Carlton Gardens (main pictxure) overlooking the Mall near Buckingham Palace, during which a huge ‘eviction notice’ was unfurled.

A spokesperson said: "While Michael Gove has spent years living rent-free in a £25 million luxury property, renters across the country are being forced into homelessness by no-fault evictions and eye-watering rent hikes.

“In the five years since his party promised to abolish this cruel legislation, tens of thousands have been made homeless and millions have lived in fear of eviction,” they added."