New forms for landlords and tenants to propose action relating to tenancy agreements have been released by the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government.

Landlords and agents must use the forms, updated to reflect the reduced tenancy notice period of four months, down from six months, in order to compliant.

Notice periods for the most serious cases will 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)

From 1 August notice periods for cases where there is less than four months’ of unpaid rent will change to two months’ notice.

Assured Tenancy Forms 3, 6a, and the notes to Form 6a have all been updated and we advise that agents update their systems with the new forms. Secure tenancy forms Part I and Part II have both been updated.

Agents are being warned that failure to serve the correct form may lead to processes being invalidated, according to ARLA Propertymark.

For more information relating to Secure tenancy forms – click here.

For more information relating to Assured tenancy forms – click here.