Although the ban on evictions has now been lifted, there are certain measures and restrictions in place to protect tenants as we head into winter.
Find out what’s changed for landlords, tenants and the UK rental sector.
From a recent survey, 12.5% of tenants reported that they had either missed rental payments or made alternative arrangements, with an additional 12% of respondents concerned about their ability to keep up with rent in the future.*
Notice periods
To recap on what’s been put in place so far, six-month notice periods will give tenants who are served notice the added security of having somewhere to live whilst they seek alternative accommodation or financial support.
These extended notice periods will be in place until March next year, except in extenuating circumstances where a landlord may seek possession sooner, including for anti-social behaviour or rent arrears that pre-date lockdown.
Now that repossession cases can be brought to court again, landlords and tenants should take it under advisement to establish a resolution privately – if at all possible – as cases are prioritised by level of urgency to manage the court’s backlog and this may delay the ability to come to an agreement.
For landlords, it’s also important to note that when making your case, you will need to disclose your tenants’ financial situation and whether they’ve been affected by the pandemic, as this will be a key consideration.
The government’s Christmas evictions truce
Dates have been announced by the government to prevent tenancy evictions over the holidays, meaning that bailiffs cannot be instructed to help landlords regain possession between December 11th and January 11th.
There will also be further guidance issued to bailiffs, preventing action to be taken where local lockdowns are currently in force.
Concerns from the lettings sector
Policy and Campaigns Manager at ARLA Propertymark – Timothy Douglas – has commented that over the past few weeks, the government have not been clear when providing updates on eviction processes but have instead drip-fed information to the public.
As a result, this has made it very difficult to respond and plan ahead, with Douglas further stating that the UK government are introducing measures that are difficult to implement; especially when faced with rapidly changing local lockdowns.
If you’re a tenant or landlord looking for clarity on how this could affect you, please contact us directly.
*Source: Goodlord survey, Letting Agent Today