Kicking the can: Possession proceedings and COVID-19
7th September, 2020
John Murray, Head of the Social Housing Group, explains why extending the evictions ban will only cause a bigger headache for housing providers and courts further down the line…
The latest in a string of government U-turns happened on 21 August 2020, when, under pressure from the opposition and charities, Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick announced that the stay on possession proceedings introduced in March would be extended for an additional four weeks.
A week later, on 28 August 2020, the government published new regulations detailing the current notice periods with which landlords seeking possession must comply (see below).
The regulations were published on 28 August 2020 and came into force a day later. This means that the new notice periods will apply to notices served on (or after) 29 August 2020 but do not apply to notices served prior to this date.
While clarity regarding the new notice periods is welcome, the legal framework is changing on a weekly – if not daily – basis, and as such the notice periods outlined below may well see further amendments. It is also possible that the government may announce a further extension to the current stay on possession proceedings, which was initially due to expire on 23 August before being pushed back to 20 September 2020.
Read John’s article in full here.
Please note that this briefing is designed to be informative, not advisory and represents our understanding of English law and practice as at the date indicated. We would always recommend that you should seek specific guidance on any particular legal issue.
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