On 21st August, Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick announced that the ban on evictions had been extended for another four weeks, until 20th September, to protect renters who have been affected by the coronavirus outbreak. This new update means that no legal evictions will have taken place for six months.
The announcement came days before the original eviction ban was meant to end on 23rd August.
The government also announced that landlords will need to provide tenants six months notice if they are planning on evicting them. The extended notice period will last until at least the end of March, but won’t apply to cases that involve serious issues such as anti-social behaviour and domestic abuse.
Once courts resume eviction hearings the most egregious cases will be prioritised. For example, those cases involving anti-social behaviour and other crimes, in addition to the cases where landlords have not received rent for over a year and would thus face unmanageable debts.
According to independent research, 87% of tenants have continued to pay their rent in full since the beginning of the pandemic with a further 8% agreeing on reduced rates with their landlords.
The government praised the vast majority of landlords who have demonstrated “understanding and leadership” by taking action to support tenants.
This article is intended as a guide only and the information was correct at the time of publication. For further information please refer to the government’s website.