The Government has recently published new rules for possession in England effective from 1 June 2021 which marks the first step in ending the Government’s measures put in place to protect tenants during the pandemic.
The recent announcement outlines:
From 1 June:
- The notice periods currently set at six months for both section 8 and section 21 notices will reduce to four months with ground 7 (death of a tenant) and 7B (Right to Rent breach) reducing to pre-COVID levels.
- The current stay on enforcement proceedings will be lifted on 31 May 2021. This means that where landlords have obtained a possession order, enforcement of possession by High Court Enforcement Officers and County Court Bailiffs will be allowed although they will be asked not to enforce where the tenant has COVID-19 symptoms or is self-isolating.
- The definition of “serious rent arrears” which provides access to a four-week notice period under section 8 (grounds 8, 10 and 11) will reduce from six months’ rent to four months’ rent.
From 1 August:
- The notice period will reduce to two months’ notice for cases where less than 4 months’ rent is in arrears.
From 1 October
- All the extended notice periods will revert to pre-COVID levels for both Section 8 and Section 21.
