The extension to the eviction ban is letting down victims of domestic violence and those living next door to anti-social tenants, landlords have warned.
The Government had initially banned landlords from serving eviction notices in March until June 25 but has now extended this until August.
But the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) said this makes members powerless to take action against tenants committing domestic abuse or making the lives of fellow tenants or neighbours a misery.
It highlighted research by the charity Refuge, which runs the Domestic Violence Helpline, showing that there has been a 66% increase in calls to its helpline during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The NRLA said in cases of domestic violence, landlords would often end the tenancy agreement and offer a fresh one, for the same property, to the victim independent of the abuser.
Ben Beadle, chief executive of the NRLA, said the courts should deal urgently and swiftly with cases concerning anti-social behaviour and domestic violence when they are allowed to hear repossession cases.
He said: “Extending the evictions ban is not without victims. It leaves landlords powerless to tackle the kind of behaviour that causes untold suffering and hardship for many communities and tenants alike.
“These cases must be given top priority by the courts and their processes enhanced to avoid further delay once they start to deal with possession cases.”
The NRLA has also shared tweets showing concerns regarding the eviction ban extension.
https://twitter.com/harrow_resident/status/1269378487061807104?s=19
Comments (3)
The Government had initially banned landlords from serving eviction notices in March until June 25 but has now extended this until August.
That is not true.
You cannot get court proceedings to issue a possession order before 23rd August.
YOU CAN issue notices on tenants just as before but with 3 months notice.
Notices isued before 23rd March are valid, e.g. 2 months notice and any possession order issued by the court are suspended until 23rd August 2020.
Courts are closed? But technically you can apply for a possession order but no possession order can be issued before 23rd August 2020. I wouldn’t start the court process as there is still hiding in the wings the threat of the exclusion period being extended to Decemebr 2020 (permitted in the legislation) and talk of notices issue in 2020 being made null and void till January 2021.
You are of course correct but none of this helps battered partners or threatened neighbours whilst the government and judiciary are not working. It is giving a taster of what it will be like when our foolish politicians abolish S21. This going to come back and bite them.
I go to great lengths to talk to neighbours and explain how landlords are being prevented from addressing these type of behaviour because of shelter and the governments desire to protect the scumbags in society and this will show the true impact of abolition of S21. This is a good taster of the future for neighbours and abused women due to the misguided clowns in government and left wing charities like shelter. It WILL come back to bite them.