More than a dozen households in Braintree and Maldon were threatened with homelessness by landlords using "no-fault" eviction powers over three months this year, figures show.

In Braintree, 14 households were at risk of homelessness with four in Maldon after they were served with a section 21 notice between April and June, the latest figures from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities show.

The figures refer to households assessed as needing council support to prevent them from becoming homeless.

After being hit with a notice, renters could be left with as little as two months to find somewhere new to live, despite the landlord not needing a reason to evict them.

Across England, 5,940 households were facing homelessness due to no-fault evictions between April and June – a 76 per cent increase compared to the same three months in 2021.

Overall, 116 households in Braintree and 47 in Maldon were identified as homeless or at risk of becoming homeless between April and June, compared to 124 in Braintree and 50in Maldon the previous quarter.

Polly Neate, Shelter chief executive, said many face “a bleak winter trapped in emergency accommodation".

She added that the Government "must get on with the job" of enshrining the Renters' Reform Bill in law.