Housing Fears of homeless surge as eviction ban ends
THOUSANDS of renters could face homelessness now a ban on landlords issuing eviction notices has ended.
But landlords must give renters a minimum of six months’ notice in most cases if they want to evict them.
It comes as the UK braces for a second wave of coronavirus and the furlough scheme to protect residents’ incomes during the pandemic is set to finish at the end of October.
The emergency legislation banning landlords from bringing eviction proceedings in England and Wales expired on Sunday.
The ban was introduced to protect tenants during the Covid-19 crisis and was extended twice by the government and has now lasted a total of six months.
At the last extension, the government announced a requirement for landlords in England to give tenants six months’ notice of eviction, which will be in place until at least the end of March next year.
However, in the most serious cases, such as where tenants have demonstrated anti-social behaviour or owe more than six months’ rent, notice periods have been shortened to a minimum of four weeks.
In Bristol, councillor Helen Godwin, who is the cabinet member for families and homes in the Labour-led authority, said: “Ahead of the eviction ban coming to an end, we have been communicating with tenants and landlords to raise awareness of the new government guidance, providing regular bulletins and working with our homelessness prevention teams to offer advice to both private landlords and tenants.
“We are concerned over the prospect of increasing numbers of evictions, particularly as the ban came to an end on Sunday and the furlough scheme comes to an end, and are urging the government to follow through with their promise to repeal Section 21 evictions, as well as automatic eviction for [rent] arrears under Section 8 to give the courts power to intervene.”
A private landlord can ask you to move out by issuing a Section 21 or Section 8 notice.
A Section 21 notice is commonly referred to as a “no-fault eviction” as landlords don’t need to give a reason for evicting you.
The courts will prioritise the most serious cases first.
A spokesperson for the Conservative-led South Gloucestershire Council said: “The number of people approaching us for housing advice has increased since lockdown measures were eased, although not to greater than beyond pre-Covid levels.
“While there is some indication of intent by landlords to issue notice and regain possession of their properties, at the moment there is not enough information to conclude this is related to any particular reason, such as the impact of Covid, or to take advantage of an active property market, or to the postponement of evictions that built up during the stay on possession proceedings.
“We understand the anxiety some tenants may be feeling, however at this stage we hope that there won’t be a significant impact.”