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Bailiff eviction ban extended to May
The ban on bailiff-led evictions in England has been extended by a further two months to 31 May, the government has announced.
The requirement for landlords to provide six-month notice periods to evict tenants has also been extended to “at least” the same date.
It comes after the government announced another extension to the ban in February, which was due to last until 31 March 2021. The move means renters have had some form of protection from eviction for more than a year during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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-months’ notice and courts will prioritise the most egregious cases, including domestic abuse and fraud.
At the same time, the government has extended a ban on commercial evictions to 30 June, which it said will support businesses as they reopen according to the government’s ‘road map’ out of lockdown.
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Housing secretary Robert Jenrick said: “It is right that as we move through the road map, we ensure that businesses and renters continue to be supported.
“We have taken unprecedented action to support both commercial and residential tenants throughout the pandemic – with a £280bn economic package to keep businesses running and people in jobs and able to meet their outgoings, such as rent.
“These measures build on the government’s action to provide financial support as restrictions are lifted over the coming months – extending the furlough scheme, business rates holiday and the Universal Credit uplift.”
The government said the new measure will align with its broader strategy to protect public health and will ease pressure on public services. It will consider the “best approach” to move away from emergency protections in June.
Ben Beadle, chief executive of the National Residential Landlords Association, said the move was welcome but warned that the financial implications for renters and landlords remain unsolved.
He said: “If the chancellor wants to avoid causing a homelessness crisis, he must develop an urgent financial package including interest-free, government-guaranteed loans to help tenants in arrears to pay off rent debts built since March 2020.
“This is vital for those who do not qualify for benefit support. Without this, more tenants face losing their homes, and many will carry damaged credit scores, making it more difficult to rent in the future and causing huge pressure on local authorities when they can least manage it.”
Alicia Kennedy, director of Generation Rent, said: “It is right that the bailiff eviction ban is being extended once again. It would be dangerous to allow people to be made homeless when coronavirus restrictions are still in place.
“But landlords can still serve eviction notices, even if their tenants have done nothing wrong, and courts remain open to process evictions. The government’s protections exclude renters who owe more than six months’ rent, and many of these people will be in debt due to the pandemic. Without financial support, renters will face a cliff edge when restrictions lift.
“We need a COVID rent debt fund to help renters who have been affected by the pandemic and left with debts they’re unable to pay. The government must also bring forward the Renters Reform Bill and end ‘no fault’ Section 21 evictions so blameless renters don’t lose their homes as a result of the pandemic.”
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