The proportion of private sector tenants leaving their homes at the direction of their landlord or letting agent continues to fall, according to the latest English Housing Survey for 2012/13.

The survey found that just 7% of tenants who had moved in the last three years said that it was because they had been asked to leave by their landlord or agent, compared with 9% in 2011/12.

Research by the Residential Landlords Association (RLA) has shown that the vast majority of such evictions happen for legitimate reasons. These include landlords wanting to sell or move into the property, needing to perform extensive work on it or because tenants aren’t paying their rent or are committing anti-social behaviour. 

Commenting on the analysis, RLA policy director, Richard Jones said: “The official figures show quite clearly a fall in the number of tenants having their tenancies terminated and by far most of these are for perfectly good reasons.

“Shelter’s campaign on so called revenge evictions is totally inaccurate and irresponsible. To severely restrict landlords’ right to regain possession as Shelter advocates would severely damage confidence in the sector. This would reduce supply at a time of high demand.”