The current Coronavirus pandemic is having wide-reaching effects on our day to day lives. With many businesses making redundancies or closing down (permanently or temporarily), people are understandably concerned about how they will make their rent payments. Yesterday (18 March 2020), the Government announced emergency measures to protect landlords and tenants affected by Coronavirus. We look at the ban on evictions and other proposed measures.
Ban on evictions
If a tenant falls into rent arrears as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic, landlords will not be able to start proceedings for at least three months. This takes the threat of eviction away from tenants for the time being at least.
Mortgage holiday for landlords
Earlier this week, the Government announced a three-month mortgage payment holiday for homeowners affected by the pandemic. The Government has confirmed that this will now extend to landlords whose tenants are experiencing financial difficulties due to Coronavirus. This will take the pressure off landlords who often need their rental payments to pay their mortgages.
What next?
The Government proposes that at the end of the three-month period landlords and tenants work together to agree an affordable repayment plan. The Government announcement states that they will be issuing guidance asking landlords to “show compassion” and allow tenants affected by the virus to remain in their homes where possible.
Further changes are expected, and we will keep our blog updated on this ban on evictions.
If you are concerned about managing your rental properties during this difficult time, our property disputes team can assist. Call us on 0800 988 7756.
