What are the new eviction time-frames?
With over a year of lockdown and financial restrictions on recovery of rents and or properties being laid on private landlords, this June will see some normality coming back to the private rented sector.
While many tenants have been unable to pay rent due to circumstances resulting from the Covid lockdown, there are also a number of tenants who have used the lockdown as a reason to deliberately not pay rent, including those who are in receipt of housing benefit and universal credit. Because of the backlog of possession hearings being heard through the courts, landlords are complaining that the length of time to get a possession order on a property is far too long.
However, as of the 1st June, there is now a legal time frame change in the reduction of notice period for both Section 21 and Section 8 notices for eviction.
For Section 21 (S21) Notices – the period has been reduced from six-months to four-months. Under Section 8 (S8) notice time-frames, the legal period has been reduced to four-months from the previous 6-month period. This includes general tenancy breaches under grounds 12. For a landlord seeking possession under grounds 8; 10; 11 of the housing act, which cover rent arrears, this has also been reduced to two-months, unless the rent arrears exceed the equivalent of 4-months rent, which will result in just a four-week notice period.
For landlords who have already served notice to tenants before June 1st, and will have to wait out the notice period previously stated. For any tenant or landlord facing hardship due to rent arrears the government have established a new mediation service. For more information click here
