Evictions ban to be extended for ANOTHER six weeks
It has not been easy for Landlords and Tenants during this pandemic.
Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick
has announced today that the current ban on bailiff evictions is to be extended for
six weeks until 21st February 2021
“We are extending the ban on
bailiff evictions – helping to protect the most vulnerable renters,” says Robert
Jenrick.
The announcement, which has
been widely expected, will not go down well among some landlords.
But the National Residential
Landlords Association (NRLA) says it has secured some leeway from the
government, in the form an exemption for landlords with arrears greater than
six months, an improvement on the previous position of nine months’ rent
arrears.
“The repossessions ban is a
sticking plaster that will ultimately lead to more people losing their homes.
It means tenants’ debts will continue to mount to the point where they have no
hope of paying them off leading eventually to them having to leave their home,”
says NRLA Chief Executive Ben Beadle
“Instead, the Government
should recognise the crisis facing many tenants and take immediate action to
enable them to pay their debts as is happening in Scotland and Wales. The
objective should be to sustain tenancies in the long term and not just the
short term.”
Robert Jenrick added: “This
winter, we are continuing in this vein and redoubling our efforts to help those
most in need.”
It appears most landlords
and tenants have, on the whole, been working well together throughout the
crisis to create payment plans and strategies that keep people in their homes.
However a further extension
to the ban without additional provisions for landlords and tenants could be
storing up even more trouble for the future.
Mark Hayward, Chief
Policy Advisor for Propertymark, says: “In light of the recent lockdown,
it is no surprise the UK Government has made today’s announcement, yet over the
past few weeks the UK Government has held off updates about evictions to the
sector making it impossible for agents to respond and plan for the difficult
winter months ahead.
“The whole of the private
rented sector has been impacted as a result of COVID-19 but we must recognise
that the courts already faced a backlog of cases prior to the pandemic. Although
the new mediation pilot will help it is important to take steps back towards
normality so that both landlords and tenants have access to the justice system,
while putting measures in place to offer further support to tenants who have
built up COVID-related arrears through no fault of their own.”
Polly Neate, Chief Executive
of Shelter, says: “You cannot follow the order to stay at home if you don’t
have one – making the government’s decision to stop bailiffs from physically
evicting people this winter the right call. While this ban doesn’t halt the
evictions process entirely, it is the minimum required to keep more people safe
in their homes.
“Even with the bailiff ban
extended until February, we know people will still become homeless. The
government’s extra £10 million for rough sleeping support and to make sure
people are registered with a GP is very welcome and essential.”
Summary
Tenants cannot be evicted by
a bailiff.
Landlords continue to be
required to give 6-month notice periods to tenants except in the most
serious circumstances. e.g. anti-social behaviour, illegal occupation, death of
a tenant where the property is unoccupied, fraud, perpetrators of domestic abuse
and extreme rent arrears equivalent to 6 months’ rent.
Tenants are advised to continue
to pay rent. Those tenants suffering from loss of income can claim Universal Credit
and seek help with rent payments.
Tenants need to remember that many landlords have buy-to-let mortgages to pay.
None of us wants to
see anyone homeless.
Read the official announcement in full.
Thanks for reading
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