End of life charity Marie Curie has called for the Renters (Reform) Bill to be altered to protect recently bereaved private renters.
An estimated 300,000 people across England and Wales are forced to move home following the death of someone they lived with every year.
Meanwhile the problem is getting worse. People bereaved in the twelve months up to November 2023 were twice as likely to be affected as those bereaved between 2018 and 2021.
Matthew Reed, chief executive of Marie Curie, said: “A complete absence of compassion could be seeing renters evicted at the rate of almost 400 a day because they person they lived with has died.
“The death of someone you live with, whether they be a family member, a partner or a friend, is a uniquely distressing event.
“Bereaved renters often experience significant and immediate loss of household income, as well as additional costs like preparing funerals and memorials for their loved ones.
“They should not have to deal with the stress, pain and anxiety of losing their home, and all the memories it holds, as well.”
In support of Marie Curie’s campaign, Clive Betts MP, chair of the Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Select Committee, has signed amendments to the Renters Reform Bill that would protect the rights of bereaved renters.
He said: “It is utterly unacceptable that private landlords are able to use bereavement as a trojan horse to remove tenants.
“If the government is genuinely committed to protecting renters, it must use the bill to give tenants the peace of mind that amidst the very worst circumstances, their basic right to shelter and safety will not be jeopardised.”
