Government extends requirement for longer notice periods until October 2021

The Government has extended the requirement to provide most tenants in England with four-month notice periods from June 1st until September 31st 2021. This comes as part of protections for renters during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government have announced that notice periods will return to pre-pandemic levels from October 2021. 

The current ban on bailiff-enforced evictions, introduced as an emergency measure during lockdown, will end on 31 May. Bailiffs have been asked not to carry out an eviction if anyone living in the property has COVID-19 symptoms or is self-isolating.

Notice periods for the most serious cases that present the most strain on landlords will remain lower, i.e. in the following cases:

  • anti-social behaviour (immediate to 4 weeks’ notice)
  • domestic abuse in the social sector (2 to 4 weeks’ notice)
  • false statement (2 to 4 weeks’ notice)
  • over 4 months’ accumulated rent arrears (4 weeks’ notice)
  • breach of immigration rules ‘Right to Rent’ (2 weeks’ notice)
  • death of a tenant (2 months’ notice)

Notice periods for cases where there is four or more months’ of unpaid rent, will reduce to 2 months’ notice from 1 August.

Wales

Notice periods given to tenants from the 26 March 2020 to 23 July 2020 must be at least 3 months for all kinds of notice.

Notice periods given on or after 24 July 2020 to at least 30 June 2021 must be at least 6 months, other than for grounds relating to anti-social behaviour which remained at 3 months until 28 September 2020 but have subsequently returned to their pre-Coronavirus Act 2020 lengths of one month or less, depending on the type of tenancy and ground used.

Furthermore, subject to a periodic 3 week review, bailiffs are not allowed to enforce evictions until the end of 30 June 2021, except in cases relating to, illegal occupation, anti-social behaviour, eviction of perpetrators of domestic abuse in the social sector where the victim is housed elsewhere and where the property is unoccupied following the death of a tenant.

As with previous guidance, there is not a legal requirement for almshouses to follow this guidance. It is, however, recommended that almshouses follow the guidance as good practice as we continue to deal with the pandemic.

Full government guidance can be found here.

Posted 18 May 21