This post is to provide an update as the government has now extended the notice period if your landlord intends to take action to evict you.
Please contact your landlord immediately if you are in rent arrears or are unable to pay your rent. I cannot stress this enough making contact could in some cases prevent the eviction action and avoid your homelessness.
If you are threatened with eviction please be aware of the following:
Your landlord could evict you for not paying your rent. This is called ‘seeking possession’. Before they take action to evict you, they will first give you a ‘Notice of Seeking Possession (NSP)’.
New Regulations have been made under Schedule 29 to the Coronavirus Act 2020 as a result of the coronavirus pandemic that temporarily extend the minimum notice periods landlords must give to tenants with either an Assured or Assured Shorthold tenancies.
From the 24th July 2020 a 6-month notice period will apply under section 8 of the Housing Act 1988, the exception to this is except those where the grounds for eviction relate to anti-social behaviour in these cases a 3-month notice period will continue to apply. The same applies under section 21 of the Housing Act 1988. (Assured Shorthold tenancies)
Schedule 29 is temporarily amended so that a landlord serving a notice on or after 24 July will be required to provide an extended notice during the remainder of relevant period, which currently ends on 30 September 2020.
The temporary change to notice periods is being made in order to further delay evictions during the pandemic. This will mean that fewer people will face eviction at a time when local authorities are less able to respond to these situations. This will allow individuals at risk of eviction to have more time to seek advice and support to resolve any problems and stop the eviction process.
For all possession notices served between 27 March and 23 July, a 3-month notice period is required.
If Eviction proceedings have already started
The court will not action any claim for possession from the landlord until after 20 September 2020.
It is important to remember that your landlord cannot evict you without a court order. Please ensure that you seek legal advice