Around 850,000 Brits fear losing their homes as tenant eviction ban ends TODAY – what you need to know
AROUND 850,000 Brits fear losing their homes as a ban on tenant evictions comes to an end today, May 31.
That means bailiffs will be able to repossess properties from tomorrow - and landlords will no longer have to give six months' notice before starting eviction proceedings.
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There are two important changes to the rules that renters need to be aware of.
The first is that bailiffs can be used to enforce evictions, however it's worth noting that they can't be asked if someone in the house has Covid-19 symptoms or is self-isolating.
The second is that a landlord only needs to give four months' notice that they want to evict, instead of the longer six months that was required throughout the pandemic.
From August 1 2021, the notice period for cases where there are less than four months of unpaid rent will further reduce to two months’ notice.
Reasons your landlord can evict you
A LANDLORD can end your tenancy early without a reason by serving you a Section 21 notice.
But there are other reasons that can cause you to be be evicted.
These are:
- You fall into rent arrears of eight weeks if you pay weekly, two months' arrears if you pay monthly
- Antisocial behaviour and a nuisance to your neighbours
- Breach of your tenancy agreement
- Using your home for illegal purposes, such as drug dealing
- If your landlord thinks you've moved out
The ban was introduced in March 2020 as an emergency measure.
It was only supposed to be a short-term measure, but has been extended several times to help renters during the pandemic.
Most recently, renters were given an additional two months after warnings that thousands of tenants could lose their homes.
If you already claim Universal Credit or housing benefit, you may be able to get a Discretionary Housing Payment.
This is a system that allows rent payments to be paid directly to landlords.
If you’ve received a notice
The rules on the notice your landlord must give have changed, and it may now be up to six months depending on when it was served.
If you're unsure, your local Citizens Advice will be able to help either in person or via email.
If your landlord hasn’t followed other rules during your tenancy this might also mean that the notice is invalid.
Ms Hughes added: "Your landlord can only make a claim to court after the notice ends.
"You don’t need to leave by this date, but going to court might mean costs are added to your debt if the notice is valid."
If your notice is expiring and you’re due to go to court
Court hearings restarted last September, with the most serious cases getting priority.
If you've been given your court date and you want the court to either consider your evidence or allow you extra time in the property, you'll need to return the defence form.
Make sure you supply evidence of information that you gave your landlord about the effect of coronavirus on your household and of any payments you’ve made.
Ms Hughes said: "The court will look at the information provided by you and the landlord and decide whether to make an order for possession.
"In some cases you might be able to stay if you can agree to affordable repayments, but the court has no discretion to allow you to stay if you’ve had a valid Section 21 notice - so-called ‘no fault eviction’.
“If the possession order is granted, it will usually ask you to leave within two to six weeks.”
If you’ve had a possession order and are facing eviction
If the court had already decided your case before the eviction ban started, you may be given 14 days notice that bailiffs will carry out an eviction.
If that's the case, you should seek urgent advice - from Citizens Advice or another housing charity - about whether there’s any way to prevent or delay the eviction.
Alternatively, you may need help finding alternative accommodation.
Six rules and laws for homeowners and renters coming in 2021 – and how they affect you explained.
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