Eviction Ban extended in England and Wales

8th January 2021

For landlords and tenants in the private rented sector, the eviction ban, that was due to come to an end on 11th January 2021, has now been extended until at least 21st February 2021 for England and until the 31st March 2021 for Wales.

The original ‘Christmas Truce’ which prohibited any evictions over the Christmas period due to Covid-19 was due to come to an end on 11th January 2021. However, the government has announced that this has now been extended as we see both England and Wales entering tougher lockdowns.

The Welsh Government announcement will be reviewed every three weeks, whereas the English Government is looking at developing a mediation plan to help support landlords and tenants who may be struggling with eviction disputes, in which details are to be released at a later date.

Douglas Haig, MD of Seraph and Director for Wales for the NRLA comments on the recent change.

Whilst many landlords are sympathetic to those tenants that are in arrears because of changes in their situation as a result of COVID it must be remembered that many landlords are struggling as well.  We must separate out those that are simply not engaging with the support that is available and allow for their cases to proceed.  At the same time we need to look at the Tenant Saver Loan and see what more can be done to get more tenants that are eligible to apply for them and if necessary widen the criteria to ensure that landlords can continue to meet their commitments and tenants do not end up losing their homes as a result.

What does this mean for tenants?

If you are a tenant, you cannot be evicted from the property until after the new date. You can still be served notice to vacate during this time, however these are longer length notice periods in line with government changes due to coronavirus. If the tenancy has been breached due to anti-social behaviour or on other specified grounds, the eviction ban may not apply.

If you are a tenant struggling to pay rent due to the coronavirus, you may be able to get help from the Tenant Saver Loan Scheme in Wales.

What does this mean for landlords?

It means that you cannot evict a tenant within the new dates, the welsh government have specified that you can still process through the courts, however, instructing a bailiff for eviction is prohibited unless its due to anti-social behaviour or abandonment. Landlords with properties in any UK nation will be effected by this change.

If you are a landlord that might be struggling with the pressures of renting due to the coronavirus, having your property/portfolio managed by us may take the stresses away. Please contact us, to see how we can help.

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