Government has extended the evictions ban for six weeks.

Once again, the eviction ban on tenants was extended until the end of March. This means that for this period evictions will not be served during the lockdown, apart from severe cases. This extension follows on from last month whereby bailiffs were stopped from serving notices and enforcing evictions within England. Originally this eviction ban came into place in March 2020 from the first lockdown which also saw the Government change the amount of time a landlord would need to give to serve notice. This changed from three months to six months, to help out those that were hit financially during the lockdown and to prevent an increase in homelessness, which councils tried to find accommodation in hotels for. Due to the new mutation of Covid-19 being more contagious, councils have once again been given further funding to help those who are sleeping rough come off the streets into public accommodation like hotels to try and reduce the risk and spread of Covid-19. 

The housing minister Robert Jenrick announced yesterday that this further extension will run until the end of March in England, after originally meaning to expire on the 11^th of January 2021. This eviction ban helps those who have faced unemployment, furlough or change of jobs due to Covid-19, ending up in rental arrears and then facing eviction in the middle of a lockdown. This security takes the worry away from tenants who are struggling due to the pandemic. However, it must be appreciated that while this is an extensive worry for tenants, it is also a worry for Landlords, as this income could be paying a mortgage. While some Landlords are on a rent guarantee insurance, not all are, if you are not, it would be highly recommendable that you think about putting this in place to make sure you are then consequently financially hit.

READ MORE: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/feb/14/ban-on-bailiff-enforced-evictions-in-england-extended-to-end-of-march