PROPOSED new government changes to stop short-notice tenant evictions - one of the biggest reasons for family homelessness - will be 'positive' for the BCP area, its housing department says.

The government announced that private landlords will no longer be able to evict tenants at short notice and without good reason under a major shake-up of the rental sector, with Prime Minister Theresa May saying the move would end the threat of so-called "no-fault" evictions which give tenants as little as eight weeks' notice after a fixed-term contract has come to an end.

Housing, Communities and Local Government Secretary James Brokenshire said the proposed changes would effectively create open-ended tenancies.

Campaigners welcomed the proposals, although the National Landlords Association warned of "chaos" if the Government introduces "badly thought-out" legislation that could put investors off creating more homes.

Deputy Director of Housing, Lorraine Mealings, was partly in agreement.

"BCP Council is aware of the government’s announcements over the last few days to abolish ‘no fault evictions’," she said.

"This is likely to be positive overall in terms of homelessness, based on the fact that a large proportion of homeless cases are as a result of private sector tenancies ending."

However, she warned that there needed to be 'a balance to make sure that good landlords remain reassured in continuing to rent their properties to those who need them'.

And she admitted: "The private rented sector is a critical part of our housing market and we need to approach any significant policy changes carefully. We understand that the government intends to consult on the proposals – the council will consider the implications of these proposals carefully as they move forward."

The consultation was announced earlier this week with Mr Brokenshire saying:"By abolishing these kinds of evictions, every single person living in the private rented sector will be empowered to make the right housing choice for themselves - not have it made for them.

"And this will be balanced by ensuring responsible landlords can get their property back where they have proper reason to do so."

The proposals would see landlords having to provide a "concrete, evidenced reason already specified in law" for bringing tenancies to an end.