The tenant eviction period has been extended from 3 months to 6 months, unless there are serious cases which include domestic abuse, anti-social behaviour, breach of 'Right to Rent', rent arrears that have accumulated over six months' rent and lastly a false statement. For these serious cases, these are the same as they were before lockdown, meaning Landlords are able to progress quickly. These cases will also be wisely prioritised in court to make sure these serious circumstances are dealt with quickly and effectively.
These are listed below on the new timeframes whereby the Landlord can seek possession:
- Breach of 'Right to Rent' is now 3 months' notice
- False statement is now 2-4 weeks' notice
- Anti-social behaviour is now 4 weeks' notice
- Over six months of rent arrears which have been accumulated is now 4 weeks' notice
- Domestic abuse is now 2-4 weeks' notice
However, those that are not serious cases such as section 21's and rent arrears under six months, the Landlord must provide at least six months' notice from the 29th August 2020 (until 31st March 2021), compared to beforehand where it was three months. Any notices that are before this, inclusive of the 28th are three months' notice.
Moreover, from the 20th of September, when a Landlord is taking tenant/tenants to court, they must set out all relevant information about the tenant's situation, including any information that was affected by Covid-19. If this is not stipulated, then these hearings can be adjourned.
Secretary of State for Housing, Rt Hon Robert Jenrick MP said:
"We have developed a package of support for renters to ensure they continue to be protected over winter. I have changed the law so that renters are protected by a 6 month notice period until March 2021.
No tenant will have been legally evicted for 6 months at the height of the pandemic as the stay on possession proceedings has been extended until 20 September. For the most egregious cases, for example those involving anti-social behaviour or domestic abuse perpetrators, notice periods have returned to their normal level, and landlords will be able to progress serious rent arrears cases more quickly.
These changes will support landlords to progress the priority cases while keeping the public safe over winter. We will keep these measures under review and decisions will continue to be guided by the latest public health advice.”
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