Dozens of households in Bolton were put at risk of homelessness over a three month period as landlords served them "no fault" eviction notices.

Between April and June this year, 46 Bolton household were served section 21 notices by their landlords, otherwise known as no fault eviction, notices.

This is more than double the number of cases in the previous three months of the year when 15 people were served section 21 notices. And the number at the same time last year was 25.

The figures refer to households assessed as needing council support to prevent them from becoming homeless. After being hit with a section 21 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.

READ MORE: Tenants losing property through no fault of their own

Housing charity Shelter has urged the government to bring forward its long-promised Renters' Reform Bill and ban section 21 notices after the data published by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities showed that it increased by more than three-quarters in a year across England.

Polly Neate, Shelter chief executive, said this winter will be "brutal" for tenants facing the threat of rising rents and evictions.

“Not a day goes by without our emergency helpline taking yet more calls from families who are being turfed out of their homes because of no-fault evictions," she said.

"Many of these families won’t be able to find another rental – and instead may spend a bleak winter trapped in emergency accommodation with nowhere to cook or eat a meal, let alone put up a Christmas tree.”

Meanwhile, action group Generation Rent said rental reforms should ensure landlords give tenants more notice and financial support to move, as well as ensuring they have legitimate ground for eviction.

Overall, 580 households in Bolton were identified as homeless or at risk of becoming homeless between April and June, compared to 457 the previous quarter, and 396 a year before.

Of them, 14 were private tenants seeking council support due to falling into arrears on their rent.

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