Plans to ban no-fault evictions in England have been unveiled as part of a long-awaited overhaul of the private rental sector.
Well over three years after the UK Government pledged in its manifesto to abolish the practice, and thus empower renters to “challenge poor landlords without fear of losing their home”, the Renters’ (Reform) Bill has been unveiled in Parliament this week.
And it’s being described as a “once-in-a-generation” announcement.
Good news for renters and landlords!
The #RentersReformBill will provide greater security for private renters and protect responsible landlords.
It will also empower renters to challenge poor practice without fear of losing their home.
— Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Gov (@mhclg) May 17, 2023
At present, Section 21 – or ‘no-fault’ – evictions allow private landlords to take back possession of their properties from tenants without giving a reason for doing so, but Housing Secretary Michael Gove said this was giving rise to rogue landlords.
He claimed the law allows landlords to intimidate tenants into staying silent about disrepair, and insisted that “no one should be faced with eviction for speaking out”.
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Some of the other measures announced as part of the Renters’ Reform Bill include making it easier to evict tenants for anti-social behaviour or repeatedly missing rent payments, the capping of rent increases to just once a year with a required two-months’ notice to tenants, and a minimum housing standard for the private sector, which means accommodation must be well-maintained throughout tenancy and be free from health and safety hazards.
‘No-fault’ evictions to be banned in England under new renters’ reform bill / Credit: Roger Kidd (via Geograph)
The bill also includes the establishment of a new ombudsman covering all private landlords, and an online property portal where landlords must prove their compliance with legal requirements
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Other new rules set to be introduced include requiring landlords to consider all requests to keep pets and not unreasonably-refusing them, and the abolishment of blanket bans on benefit claimants or people with children.
“Too many renters are living in damp, unsafe, cold homes, powerless to put things right, and with the threat of sudden eviction hanging over them,” Mr Gove said on the announcement of the bill.
The Renters (Reform) Bill brings reforms that benefits both renters & landlords. Landlords will be able to recover properties from problem tenants more easily and tenants will be empowered to challenge poor practices.@MichaelGove explains it’s well balanced⏬#RentersReformBillpic.twitter.com/Nui29A2KhN
— Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Gov (@mhclg) May 17, 2023
“These new laws will support the vast majority of responsible landlords who provide quality homes to their tenants, while delivering our manifesto commitment to abolish Section 21 ‘no-fault’ evictions to ensure that everyone can live somewhere which is decent, safe and secure”.
According to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC), the plans announced in the Renters’ (Reform) Bill will impact 11 million tenants and two million landlords in England.
Man jailed after violent machete attack in Bolton left victim ‘seriously injured’
Emily Sergeant
A man has been jailed after carrying out a ‘violent’ machete attack in Bolton that left another man seriously injured.
Dale Dean appeared at Manchester Crown Court on last Friday (20 February 2026) after pleading guilty to causing grievous bodily harm with intent, possession of a bladed article, and affray, and was subsequently sentenced to six years behind bars.
The 27-year-old from Manchester was found to be carrying a machete ‘without lawful reason’.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) explained that, back on Saturday 5 April 2025, it received reports of a man holding a machete in a shop on Kentmere Road, in the Breightmet area of Bolton, and when officers attended the scene at around 7:50pm, they were told Dean was seen attacking another man in front of staff and members of the public.
The machete was used to attack the victim in the shop, who suffered several serious injuries – including to his head and shoulder.
Dean also caused ‘extensive damage’ to the shop and fled the scene.
In the aftermath of the attack, the victim was said to have struggled ‘to walk out on the street’ and had difficulty sleeping due to the pain and location of his injuries, but he has since recovered well from the attack overall.
On top of the six years in prison, the court imposed an additional 20‑month extended licence period upon Dean’s release due to the seriousness of the offence and the danger he poses to the public.
“This was a shocking and violent incident that left the victim with serious injuries and caused fear within the community,” commented Detective Constable Jordan Brown, of Bolton’s Criminal Investigation Department, following the sentencing at the end of last week.
“Dean’s actions were deliberate, dangerous, and showed a blatant disregard for the safety of others.
“[He] used or threatened unlawful violence, causing significant fear to those nearby, and was found to be carrying a machete without lawful reason.
“We welcome today’s sentence, which reflects the gravity of the offences. Our officers will continue to take decisive action against those who carry weapons and commit violent offences on our streets.”
Featured Image – GMP
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Passengers thanked for their ‘patience’ as Manchester Piccadilly reopens after £7.9m upgrade
Emily Sergeant
Manchester Piccadilly has now officially reopened after a nine-day closure.
In case you hadn’t heard, Manchester Piccadilly train station closed on Saturday 14 February while a ‘once-in-a-generation upgrade’ was carried out – with very few train services running in or out of the station in the process, and as you’d expect, widespread disruption caused for those travelling around the region.
But thankfully now, after many journeys were impacted for those travelling to and from major destinations like Manchester Airport, and on the West Coast Mainline, the station is now back up and running.
The public are being thanked for their ‘patience’ while the the journey-improving work was carried out this past week.
Network Rail invested £7.9m into the major upgrade, with the main points of action being to improve tracks, points, and signalling systems on the southern approach to Manchester Piccadilly station.
🎥VIDEO UPDATE🛤️
👷🏼♂️Teams are carrying out final inspections after a 9-day closure for £7.9m track upgrades at Piccadilly 🔧
🏗️Trains will run from 5am tomorrow🚆
‼️Follow up work is needed on Sun 1 and Sun 22 March – please check @nationalrailenq🙏
Teams worked to replace 11 sets of points, renew timber sleepers with modern, concrete equivalents, and also bring lineside equipment ‘bang up to date’ across six lines to improve future journeys for passengers and freight.
Investment in this apparent ‘critical stretch’ of track had been long awaited, as any issues with the ageing infrastructure could’ve disrupted all trains running in and out of Manchester.
The closure also resulted in what was said to be one of the largest rail replacement bus operations the city has seen in recent memory, with a total of 8,922 services running over the course of the nine days to keep passengers on the move.
Manchester Piccadilly has now reopened to the public after its £7.9m upgrade / Credit: Network Rail
“We would like to say a big thank you to passengers for their patience while this once-in-a-generation upgrade has taken place over the last nine days,” commented Brian Paynter, who is the Capital Delivery track director at Network Rail.
“Manchester Piccadilly is one of the country’s busiest stations and it’s a key hub for people travelling to the North West.
“Upgrading the track over six lines in what’s known as the Piccadilly corridor will make journeys more reliable and the points and signalling systems less prone to faults – meaning fewer delays for passengers. It’s all part of our long-term commitment to invest millions of pounds to make the North West’s railway fit for the future.”
Unfortunately thought, the disruption doesn’t quite end there, as this coming Sunday 1 March, and then again on Sunday 22 March, routine follow-up work will take place to secure the new railway foundation stone through a process called tamping.
This will impact trains until passed midday, with passengers advised to check online ahead of time if planning travel on those dates.
Emily Sergeant -
18th May 2023 
