Law Society comments on eviction ban extension until 31 March

The secretary of state for housing, communities and local government has announced eviction ban extension – save for the most egregious cases, including illegal occupation, false statement, anti-social behaviour, perpetrators of domestic abuse and serious rent arrears of more than 6 months – to until at least 31 March.

Possession hearings, however, will still continue and tenants are required to pay their rent.

Law Society president David Greene said:

“We are pleased that some tenants who would otherwise be facing eviction will be able to stay in their homes, particularly given the colder weather and the new variants of the virus. However, it should be noted that those with significant rent arrears are exempt from the ban, and as time goes on it is likely that more tenants will be evicted as a result of significant amounts of overdue rent.

“Eventually, fewer tenants will be protected by the ban and may become homeless, making it difficult to contain the virus.

“Funded early expert legal advice is vital to preventing unnecessary evictions and must continue to be available to all tenants alongside the mediation pilot, now deployed across all courts.  

“While mediation certainly has its place in civil justice, particularly in light of the significant court backlogs, it must be ensured that access to justice through the adjudication process is not delayed. 

“Informing tenants of their legal rights, such as benefit advice, could make a real difference to their ability to stay in their homes and not require the protection of the eviction ban.”

Kindly shared by The Law Society of England and Wales

Main article photo courtesy of Pixabay