Residential Possession Claims: Stayed for an additional 4 weeks

The stay on residential possession claims was due to expire on 23 August 2020, with the Courts due to resume cases after a five-month pause.  At the 11^th hour it was announced that the ban on landlords evicting tenants in England and Wales will continue for a further four weeks until 20 September 2020.

Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick said he was “supporting renters over winter” amid the ongoing effects of the coronavirus outbreak adding that, when the ban was lifted, the most serious cases of anti-social behaviour, other crimes, and unpaid rent for over a year would be heard first.

The government also intends to give tenants greater protection from eviction by requiring landlords to provide their tenants with a 6 months’ notice period, except for cases involving other serious issues such as anti-social behaviour and domestic abuse perpetrators.

It remains to be seen what status will be given to the three month notices that have been served between March 2020 and whenever the proposed extension to a six month notice period is introduced.  It is also unclear as to whether the six month ‘use it or lose it’ notice period for section 21 notices already served will be extended.

We will provide a full update once further information is released.

For further questions please contact Mark Richardson directly on [email protected] or 0207 822 2240.

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