It would seem there is now light at the end of the tunnel for landlords in respect of possession claims and notice periods pursuant to the Housing Act 1988.
As many are aware, during the pandemic and since the introduction of the Coronavirus Act 2020, the UK Government had initially increased all notices to six months for most grounds (including Section 21 notices), with only few exemptions for certain serious cases.
As the country sought to come out of lockdowns and restrictions, this was relaxed slightly, and since 1 June 2021 and up to (and including) 30 September 2021, many notice periods were reduced to at least four months in most circumstances apart from exemptions for the most serious cases or high level of rental arrears.
Moving forward, the UK Government has confirmed that as of 1 October 2021, the notice required for possession claims (both section 21 and Section 8) will return back to the pre-pandemic periods. However, the Government has not relinquished full power in this regards, as it intends to retain the power to implement any similar measures again in the future should the public health situation worsen. To this end, legislation has been tabled that retains the ability for the UK Government to reapply longer notice periods until 25 March 2022 as a backstop.
If you require any assistance or advice in respect of the above, then please contact our team on tel: 01892 515022.
This blog is not intended as legal advice that can be relied upon and CooperBurnett does not accept any responsibility for the accuracy of its contents.
