The Social Housing Bill returned to Parliament for its second reading in the House of Lords on 1 June 2026. One of the Bill’s three key aims is to strengthen protections for tenants experiencing domestic abuse by expanding the powers available to social landlords. A recent announcement from the MHCLG regarding the Bill can be found here.

These new powers will apply to social landlords in England only. In the context of domestic abuse, they are particularly helpful in enabling the eviction of perpetrators and restricting their malicious use of a Notice to Quit in such cases.

Current position

Currently there is limited tenancy protection for tenants experiencing domestic abuse. Social landlords can rely on the existing possession grounds (for secure tenancies Ground 2A of the Housing Act 1985 and for Assured Tenancies Ground 14A of the Housing Act 1988) to seek possession against perpetrators of domestic abuse. However, the court can only grant possession where the victim has already left the property due to the abuse and is unlikely to return. In practice, this means these powers are typically exercised after the victim has fled and, in some cases, secured alternative accommodation. As a result, victims who have no realistic rehousing options are often forced into a stark choice: remain in an unsafe home or face the risk of homelessness. What if they want to stay put?

The current position for joint tenants is also particularly difficult, as one joint tenant who may be the perpetrator can unilaterally and maliciously (yet entirely legally) end the joint tenancy by serving a Notice to Quit. It is long established law that this terminates the joint tenancy for both parties even if the perpetrator is subject to an injunction not to serve an NTQ. 

Changes on their way 

The Bill introduces the following new powers to address the current disadvantages faced by victims of domestic abuse. 

• A new absolute ground for possession in cases of domestic abuse. This will allow social landlords to evict perpetrators while enabling the victim to remain in the property.
• Proceedings may be brought against a perpetrator where they have been convicted of a domestic abuse offence or found in contempt of court for breaching a non-molestation order or a domestic abuse protection order.
• This ground will apply where the victim is either currently living with the perpetrator or previously lived with them and left due to the abuse.
• The county court will be able to transfer a joint tenancy into the victim’s sole name (currently something only the family court can do when dealing with a property adjustment order application).
• Where it is not appropriate for the victim to stay in the property, the court may instead require the landlord, where suitable housing is available, to provide alternative accommodation.
• Where a notice seeking possession has been served under either the new or existing domestic abuse grounds, a Notice to Quit served by a perpetrator joint tenant will NOT be effective to terminate the tenancy. 

Conclusion

According to the MHCLG, approximately 15,000 households in England were forced to find a new home in 2025 due to domestic abuse. 

These changes will provide powers to social landlords to strengthen housing protections for domestic abuse victims, while ensuring that perpetrators can be the ones lawfully and more easily removed from social housing where appropriate. 

While the practical operation of these reforms remains to be seen, they have been widely welcomed by domestic abuse specialists, who view them as an important step towards enabling victims to remain safely in their homes and rebuild their independence.

The Bill is currently in the early stages of its parliamentary journey, so no news yet on implementation dates.  

For more information, contact Helen Tucker.