Changes to notice periods for evictions

Changes to notice periods for evictions

WEDNESDAY 12 MAY 2021

The UK Government has announced that from 1 June 2021 notice periods in England that are currently six months, will now be reduced to four months.
The current ban on bailiff-enforced evictions, introduced as an emergency measure during lockdown, will end on 31 May. As part of a phased approach through Step 3 and Step 4 of the Roadmap, notice periods are being reduced, apart from the most serious cases, which remain lower:

anti-social behaviour (immediate to 4 weeks’ notice)
domestic abuse in the social sector (2 to 4 weeks’ notice)
false statement (2 to 4 weeks’ notice)
over 4 months’ accumulated rent arrears (4 weeks’ notice)
breach of immigration rules ‘Right to Rent (2 weeks’ notice)
death of a tenant (2 months’ notice)
Notice periods for cases where there is less than four months' unpaid rent, will reduce to two months’ notice from 1 August 2021. This is to support both landlords and tenants and responds to the greater difference between COVID and pre-COVID notice periods for rent arrears. The measures will also ensure renters continue to be protected with longer notice periods for the coming months while allowing landlords to access justice.

Subject to the public health advice and progress with the Roadmap, notice periods will return to pre-pandemic levels from 1 October 2021.

Source: Propertymark/Arla