Labour has accused the government of giving “pathetic” answers to their demands for a ban on no-fault evictions.
The Conservatives promised to end the practice as part of their 2019 election manifesto.
But the government didn’t publish its legislation to make that possible until earlier this year, and there is still no date set for the bill to come to parliament.
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At Prime Minister’s Questions – covered by Oliver Dowden in Rishi Sunak’s absence – Labour’s deputy leader, Angela Rayner, said the security of renters had been “ripped away” due to soaring mortgage costs being handed on to them by landlords.
She said no-fault evictions had gone up by 116% this year, before asking: “Will [Mr Dowden] tell us if the prime minister has a spine now to stand up to the vested interests in his own party and finally deliver their promise to ban no-fault evictions?”
The deputy prime minister said his boss wouldn’t “take any lectures on weakness” from Labour, making a jibe at the opposition leader’s alleged indecisiveness around reshuffles.
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But he did not re-iterate the pledge to ban the system, instead saying: “We will continue to stand behind renters and to support them. [Ministers] will take all necessary steps.”
Ms Rayner hit back, saying: “That answer is pathetic for all those people who are facing homelessness on his watch. [Labour] will ban no-fault evictions, unlike the party opposite.”
The Renters’ (Reform) Bill was published in May, including a plan to ban no-fault – or Section 21 – evictions, which allow landlords to take back possession from tenants without giving a reason.
Housing Secretary Michael Gove said the practice was allowing rogue landlords to intimidate tenants into staying silent about disrepair and “no one should be faced with eviction for speaking out”.
But critics of the bill have said there is nothing to stop landlords effectively forcing people out by hiking up rents, and new powers making it easier for landlords to evict antisocial tenants will be used as a cover to evict people.
Labour last month called for more help for renters as inflation continues to soar and the risk of eviction grows.
Shadow Housing Secretary Lisa Nandy called on the government to immediately implement her party’s private renters’ charter, which includes banning no-fault evictions, lengthening repossession notice periods and introducing a code of practice for letting agents.
