Government sets out comprehensive support for renters this Winter
Tuesday 22nd of September 2020
The Government has set out its support for renters this winter.
Guidance has been published for landlords and tenants in the private and social rented sectors to explain the possession action process in the county courts.
Both documents set out comprehensive measures that Government is taking to provide support for renters over autumn and winter affected by coronavirus.
Key points:
- Emergency legislation has increased notice periods to six months until at least the end of March 2021.
The Government has changed the law to increase notice periods to six months meaning renters now served notice can stay in their homes over winter, with time to find alternative support or accommodation. The only exceptions to this are the most egregious cases, including where tenants have demonstrated anti-social behaviour or committed fraud, and the landlord rightly would like to re-let their property to another tenant.
- Evictions will not be enforced in local lockdown areas and there will be a truce on enforcement over Christmas.
Guidance will be issued to bailiffs to ensure that no enforcement of evictions will take place in areas where local lockdown measures are in force which restrict access to premises. This will prevent tenants being forced out of their home at an unsettling time in areas when the public health risks could be greater. Guidance will be also issued to bailiffs that they should not enforce possession orders in therun up to and over Christmas except in the most serious circumstances, such as cases involving anti-social behaviour or domestic abuse.
- £180m of government funding for Discretionary Housing Payments available for local authorities to support vulnerable renters this year.
The guidance can be found on the GOV.uk website at:
See the full press release here
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-sets-out-comprehensive-support-for-renters-this-winter