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Bailiff eviction ban extended to end of March
Renters have been given a further six weeks of protection from bailiff-enforced evictions in England, the government has announced.
The ban, which was due to end on 21 February, has been extended to 31 March meaning renters have had protection of some kind for a over a year.
But housing charity Shelter warned that tenants can still receive eviction notices and estimated that 445,000 private renting adults in England have fallen behind on their rent or have been served some kind of eviction notice in the past month.
Unlike the eviction ban that ran between March and September 2020, under the current ban eviction court hearings and orders can still take place but landlords will be required to give six-month notice period and courts will prioritise the most egregious cases.
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Announcing the extension on Sunday, housing secretary Robert Jenrick said: “By extending the ban on the enforcement of evictions by bailiffs, in all but the most serious cases, we are ensuring renters remain protected during this difficult time.
“Our measures strike the right balance between protecting tenants and enabling landlords to exercise their right to justice.”
The Scottish and Welsh governments extended the ban to 31 March in January 2021 while in Northern Ireland landlords need to give 12 weeks’ notice before eviction proceedings are taken.
Polly Neate, chief executive of Shelter, said: “Thousands of renters who’ve been living in fear of the bailiffs’ knock at the door have today been given a few more weeks in their home.
“This short extension to the bailiff ban may keep people safe for now, but it’s not an answer to the evictions crisis. Renters are still are being served with eviction notices every day, and our helpline is flooded with calls from those desperately worried about paying their rent.
“Before the ban is lifted, the government must give renters a real way out of debt. That means a lifeline of emergency grants to help pay off ‘COVID-arrears’ so people can avoid the terrifying risk of eviction altogether.”
Ben Beadle, chief executive of the National Residential Landlords Association, said that the announcement “does nothing to help over 800,000 private renters who have built rent arrears since lockdown measures started last year”.
He said: “It means debts will continue to mount to the point where they have no hope of paying them off. It will lead eventually to them having to leave their home and face serious damage to their credit scores.”
Mr Beadle called on the government to provide emergency grants to help pay off coronavirus-related debts.
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