Council Evicts Family From Temporary Accommodation For Not Attending Viewing 180 Miles Away

 A council has blamed government benefit restrictions for its decision to evict a family with three children from temporary accommodation after they were unable to attend a viewing for a home more than 180 miles away. Waltham Forest Council stated that it had a “duty to taxpayers” over the decision to end the temporary accommodation it was providing for the family in Lewisham. The council had a duty to house the family, but in June it issued a private sector discharge offer for a home in Stoke-on-Trent. But the family said they were unable to attend a viewing because the father had just started a new job in London. Read more on Inside Housing.

https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/news/council-evicts-family-from-temporary-accommodation-for-failing-to-attend-viewing-180-miles-away-71794

One Household Made Homeless Every 3.5 Hours

One UK household is being made homeless every three-and-a-half hours, new analysis by The Big Issue has revealed, as evictions and repossessions have continued throughout lockdown. Despite an eviction ban from the government, there were 370 mortgage repossessions and 262 rental evictions in England and Wales in the first 90 days of the year. This equates to more than seven households a day being made homeless. Read more on the Big Issue website.

https://www.bigissue.com/latest/one-household-made-homeless-every-3-5-hours-big-issue-study-shows/

Private Rented Housing: Evictions – Parliamentary Written Answer

 Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government  whether it remains Government policy that no-one should lose their home as a result of the covid-19 pandemic; and whether the Government plans to provide financial support to private sector renters at risk of losing their homes because of covid-19 related rent arrears.

Eddie Hughes: Whilst evictions can now proceed with 14 days’ notice, they will not be carried out if a member of the home has COVID-19 symptoms or is self-isolating. The Government has provided an unprecedented package of financial support which is available to tenants to help them pay their rent. We have also made £140 million in Discretionary Housing Payments funding available, for local authorities to distribute to renters who require additional support, building on the £180 million provided in 2020/21.

http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2021-05-27/8659

Evictions By Private Landlords Outstrip Social Housing Sector For First Time During Pandemic

Evictions by private landlords have outstripped those in the social housing sector across England and Wales for the first time during the pandemic, official statistics show. But the gap narrowed significantly between January and March, with private rented sector possessions dropping 21.7% compared with the previous quarter while increasing 12.2% in the social sector, according to figures recently published by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ). A ban on bailiff-enforced evictions came to an end over the Bank Holiday weekend. Landlords have been restricted in their ability to remove tenants since the coronavirus outbreak in March 2020. Read more on Inside Housing.

Inside Housing - Home - Evictions by private landlords outstrip social housing sector for first time during pandemic 

400,000 Renters Face Eviction

 a large-scale survey reveals:

·         Around 400,000 renting households have either been served an eviction notice or have been told they may be evicted (5% of all renters).

·         Around a million renting households are worried about being evicted in the next three months (11% of all renters), half of which are families with children.

·         1.7 million renting households are worried about paying their rent over the same period (20%) of all renters).

·         Although renters are faring significantly worse than homeowners, their support has been cut while wealthier homeowners continue to benefit from the Stamp Duty holiday.

Read more on the Joseph Rowntree website.

https://www.jrf.org.uk/press/400000-renters-face-eviction-jrf-warns-uk-risks-%E2%80%98two-tier-recovery%E2%80%99

London Boroughs Fear ‘Summer Wave Of Homelessness’

Councils in London fear there will soon be a spike in homelessness in the capital due to the ongoing economic impact of the pandemic combined with the ending of government protections to prevent people losing their homes. Boroughs fear a spike in homelessness due to the “triple whammy” of high unemployment and rent arrears, the ending of the eviction ban and uncertainty over homelessness funding. Read more on Inside Housing.

Inside Housing - News - London boroughs fear ‘summer wave of homelessness’

Senior Tory Demands Ministers Take Action To Avoid Homelessness Crisis Before Eviction Ban Lifted

Ministers must take “urgent action” to avoid a fresh homelessness crisis when the Government lifts its moratorium on evictions next month, a senior Tory MP has warned.  Bob Blackman, co-chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on ending homelessness, has urged the Government to avert a fresh spike in homelessness among “Generation Rent”. He said: “With seven per cent of the renting population of England and Wales now in rent arrears, when the moratorium on evictions comes to an end in June, it is likely that we’ll see rates of homelessness increase again unless urgent action is taken.” Read more on inews.

Senior Tory demands ministers take action to avoid homelessness crisis before eviction ban lifted (inews.co.uk)

Eviction Notice Periods Reduced To Four Months From June

The MHCLG said that longer notice periods for tenants facing eviction during the pandemic will remain in place until at least October, although the term will be reduced to four months from next month. Ministers said the reduction in notice periods is in line with the nation “progressing cautiously” through the roadmap out of lockdown. The government said that subject to public health advice, notice periods will return to the pre-pandemic levels from 1 October. Housing associations welcomed the extended protections but called for longer notice periods to be in place beyond October. Read more on Inside Housing.

Inside Housing - News - Eviction notice periods reduced to four months from June

Evictions – Parliamentary Written Answer

Olivia Blake: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will extend the section 21 notice period extension beyond 31 March 2021. 

Christopher Pincher: We are continuing to require landlords to provide tenants with six months’ notice before eviction in all but the most serious cases until the end of May 2021. This includes Section 21 notices. This means that most renters served notice during April and May will be able to stay in their homes until October and November, except in the most serious cases such as anti-social behaviour and serious rent arrears The Government will consider the best approach to tapering down notice periods after 1 June, taking into account public health requirements and progress with the roadmap out of lockdown.

http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2021-03-08/164376

Eviction Orders Being Issued Despite UK Government Covid Pledge

Eviction orders are being issued to tenants who have run up rent arrears because of the pandemic despite a promise by the housing secretary, Robert Jenrick, that “no renter who has lost income due to coronavirus will be forced out of their home”. The government quietly changed its eviction ban last month to allow landlords to throw out tenants who had fallen into arrears as a result of Covid. Until January, landlords could not evict tenants because of rent arrears amassed since the first March lockdown. They could only act if nine months’ arrears had built up prior to the pandemic. Read more on the Guardian website.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2021/feb/28/eviction-orders-being-issued-despite-uk-government-covid-pledge

Evictions: Coronavirus- Parliamentary Written Answer

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to ensure that live-in lodgers are protected from eviction during the covid-19 outbreak.

Christopher Pincher: The provisions relating to extending notice periods under the Coronavirus Act only apply to statutory tenants and licensees who are covered by the Protection from Eviction Act. Some lodgers will be a statutory tenant or a licensee, others will fall outside of this legislation. Lodgers who can do so must continue to pay their rent. If they cannot they should speak to their landlord at the earliest opportunity. An early conversation between landlord and tenant can help both parties to agree a plan if tenants are struggling to pay their rent. If a lodger is being forced out illegally, they should contact the police and their local authority.

http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2021-01-19/140208

Government Fails To Tackle Covid Rent Debt Crisis

The eviction ban in England has been extended for six weeks, in a move described as a ‘sticking plaster’ by landlords. Current restrictions were due to end on 4 January, following a month-long ban on bailiffs serving notices and enforcement in England over the Christmas period, a move which Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick said would 'help protect the most vulnerable renters'. The NRLA says the move will do nothing to support landlords and tenants long term and what is needed is a comprehensive financial package, to allow tenants to continue to pay their rent without building unmanageable debt. Read more on the NRLA website.

https://www.nrla.org.uk/news-government-fails-tackle-Covid-rent-debt-crisis

Tenant Evictions Won’t Be Enforced During Lockdown

Evictions won’t be enforced until at least 11th January 2021, while there will be no bailiff enforcement action, the government has announced. Six month notice periods will remain in place until at least the end of March 2021. The exception to this rule will be the most serious cases, including where tenants have demonstrated anti-social behaviour or are the perpetrator of domestic abuse in social housing. Courts will remain open during the second lockdown. Read more on the Property Wire website.

https://www.propertywire.com/news/tenant-evictions-wont-be-enforced-during-lockdown/

Tens Of Thousands Made Homeless Despite UK Ban On Evictions

Tens of thousands of people have been made homeless since the start of the pandemic despite a ban on evictions, with charities warning that younger people are falling through the gaps. Since April this year at least 90,063 people in the UK have been threatened with homelessness – and more than half of these have already lost their accommodation. Charities say data shows a new cohort of homeless people who have slipped through the cracks despite protections such as the ban on evictions and a government scheme to house the homeless during the coronavirus crisis. Read more on the Guardian website.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/nov/08/tens-thousands-homeless-despite-uk-ban-evictions-covid-pandemic 

Evictions: Coronavirus – Parliamentary Written Answer

Mark Menzies: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to support landlords unable to evict problem tenants responsible for repeated anti-social behaviour during the covid-19 outbreak.

Christopher Pincher: The suspension of possession proceedings ended on 20 September and landlords can now progress possession claims through the courts. The most egregious cases, such as those involving anti-social behaviour, will be prioritised by the courts. Additionally, as of 29 August, Coronavirus legislation extending the minimum notice period that must be given before a possession claim can be lodged in court was amended so that in the most serious circumstances, minimum notice period requirements have returned to what they were before COVID.

http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2020-10-21/106969

Councils Call For Extra Funding To Help Prevent Evictions When Ban Lifts

Councils are calling on the government to increase the funding available to support struggling renters ahead of the evictions ban ending, as London boroughs reported a 30% increase in those needing help since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Umbrella group London Councils that said boroughs expect demand for Discretionary Housing Payments (DHPs) to “skyrocket” when landlords restart possession proceedings. DHPs are allocated to local authorities to help those unable to keep up with housing costs. Read more on Inside Housing.

https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/news/councils-call-for-extra-funding-to-help-prevent-evictions-when-ban-lifts-this-weekend-67918

Renters With Six Months’ Arrears To Get Just Four Weeks’ Notice Before Eviction

Tenants who have failed to pay their rent for six months can be evicted with just four weeks’ notice under new government legislation, in an apparent watering down of promises made by ministers. New regulations dictate that a six-month notice period will be necessary for all landlords seeking possession except where rent arrears are over six months or where tenants have committed anti-social behaviour. Landlords seeking to evict tenants for anti-social behaviour will also need to give four weeks’ notice, while the period for perpetrators of domestic abuse will be two weeks. Read more on Inside Housing.

https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/renters-with-six-months-arrears-to-get-just-four-weeks-notice-before-eviction-67708 

Scrap Benefit Cap To Avoid Eviction Crisis, Labour Tells Government

Ministers must scrap the benefit cap to avoid an eviction crisis when the ban extension ends, Labour has said. Shadow employment minister Seema Malhotra has written to the government demanding figures on how many households caught by the benefit cap are at risk of eviction once the current moratorium ends on 20 September. Figures released earlier this month showed that the number of households caught by the cap nearly doubled between February and May up to more than 150,000. Read more on the Labourlist website.

https://labourlist.org/2020/08/labour-calls-on-government-to-scrap-benefits-cap-to-stop-evictions-crisis/

Exactly What The Ban Extension Means To Agents And Tenants

The Law Society has set out exactly what the extension of the eviction ban means to agents, landlords and tenants. The society says:

- Courts are neither hearing nor progressing applications for possession orders made by landlords before March 24;

- This applies to all private or social housing tenancies

- There are exceptions: these include applications for possession against trespassers

- Schedule 29 Coronavirus Act 2020 also remains in force meaning landlords must provide tenants with a notice period of six months when issuing a notice seeking possession;

- Tenants are still obliged to pay rent during this period.

Read more on the Letting Agent Today website.

https://www.lettingagenttoday.co.uk/breaking-news/2020/8/exactly-what-the-ban-extension-means-to-agents-and-tenants

Government Announces Another Extension To Evictions Ban

The MHCLG has confirmed that it is to extend the ban in England on evictions to 20 September and will also introduce six-month long notice periods that will run until 31 March 2021. The ban, which was announced in March because of the Coronavirus pandemic, is currently due to end of 23 August. It has also been confirmed that once the courts do re-open, only serious cases including those involving anti-social behaviour and domestic abuse will be prioritised. The further four-week extension will allow for further work to be done to prepare before the ban is lifted and mean that landlords will continue to be unable to start proceedings to evict tenants. Read more on the ARLA website.

https://www.arla.co.uk/news/august-2020/government-announces-another-extension-to-evictions-ban/