Landlord Action responds to Government’s further extension of ban on evictions

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The Government has announced a further four-week extension to the ban on evictions until 20th September 2020. In addition, renters will be offered further protection by an increase of notice periods from three months to six months.

This is absolutely devastating news for those landlords who already had possession cases ongoing prior to the pandemic.

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Jenrick extends ban on evictions and notice periods

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The ban on evictions extended for another 4 weeks and new 6 month notice periods to be in place until at least 31 March 2021.

Renters affected by coronavirus will continue to be protected after the government extended the ban on evictions for another 4 weeks

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A blanket eviction ban extension is unacceptable

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Responding to the reports that the evictions ban will be extended to 20th September, Ben Beadle, CEO of the National Residential Landlords Association has said:

“A blanket extension is unacceptable, especially so close to the deadline.

“An enormous amount of work as gone into finding a balance between supporting tenants who have been affected by the pandemic and preventing significant financial harm to landlords

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BREAKING: Leaks suggest evictions ban to be extended by a month

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Sources from within the government have confirmed that it intends to extend the evictions ban by a month to September 20th in order to give parliament time to debate the issue after MPs return from recess on September 1st, and for ministers to form a plan.

This substantial U-turn has not been announced officially but sources within the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government have indicated strongly that the suspension on possession claims is to be extended further.

“This is obviously very disappointing news as the suspension was due to end this Sunday on 23^rd August,” says Time Frome, Head of Legal of Landlord Action.

“A new process was set out whereby landlords were required to provide specific information to the court in a ‘reactivation notice’ which would then result in the matter proceeding either with a hearing (rent arrears case) or a judge deciding on the paperwork (s.21 case).

“We followed the reactivation notice process and asked all clients to provide us with the relevant information. Everything has been prepared and ready to be sent to the Courts on Monday, being the first day we could send the reactivation notices out.”

It now appears that the legislation which brought that process in has been replaced although it is not yet clear how this has been achieved at the 11th hour.

Full details of how the evictions ban will be extended have not been published yet, but at one point earlier today it had been hoped that some evictions would be allowed to progress – such as those involving anti-social behaviour and extreme rent arrears.

Timothy Douglas, Policy and Campaigns Manger, ARLA Propertymark comments on the ban on evictions: “The whole of the private rented sector has been impacted as a result of COVID-19 but we must recognise that the courts already faced a backlog of cases prior to the pandemic.

It is important to take steps back towards normality so that both landlords and tenants have access to the justice system, while putting measures in place to offer further support to tenants who have built up COVID-related arrears through no fault of their own.”

The decision comes just a few days after Northern Ireland announced it is to extend its ban for another three months.

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Landlord to pay £20,000 after putting tenants’ lives at risk at unlicensed HMO

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An HMO landlord who ignored a litany of safety breaches which put his tenants’ lives at risk is to pay a fine plus costs of more than £20,000.

Dennis Goodwin, of Ronalds Road, Highbury, London, admitted seven management regulation offences and one charge of operating an unlicensed HMO at 9 Portland Street in Lincoln.

City of Lincoln Council officers found that smoke seals on both the fire door from the kitchen into the rear entrance lobby and the ground floor front bedroom had been covered in paint, which would have prevented them stopping the spread of smoke and fire.

Doors to the first-floor bedrooms and the living room door into the hallway weren’t fire doors, while none of the three fire extinguishers in the property had been serviced since February 2016.

This was a particular concern as there had been a fire next door at a property also owned by Goodwin, which the fire brigade attended. 

Broken window

Inspectors also found a broken curtain rail over a rear exit so that the curtain obstructed the door and a broken window in a room occupied by a couple with a one-year-old.

The district judge said his tenants were living in “grotty” rooms, sharing a bathroom and kitchen and that the conditions were “totally unacceptable”.

He added that Goodwin knew of all the problems and that “people could have died”, adding that Goodwin had closed his mind to the problems instead of addressing them. He told him: “If you intend to be a landlord you need to up your game.”

Goodwin was fined £17,000, along with a victim surcharge of £170 and costs of £3,000. 

Councillor Donald Nannestad, portfolio holder for quality housing at City of Lincoln Council, says: “We take the safety of our residents very seriously, and this court ruling shows that there’s no place to hide for rogue landlords in Lincoln.”

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Landlady narrowly avoids prison after falsely accusing tenant of assault

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A landlady who falsely claimed her tenant had assaulted her has been handed a suspended prison sentence.

Urszula Runiewicz, 52, of Keldholme Lane (pictured), Alvaston, smashed her tenant’s heater and then shouted and screamed at him for using too much electricity, after he challenged her for going into his room.

Derby Crown Court heard how he had returned home at 11.45pm and gone into his room to find a window he had left open was shut and an electric heater had been switched off.

When he challenged his landlady about entering his room she responded by shouting and screaming, saying he was using too much electricity and had kicked her dog.

Drunken behaviour

He began recording her drunken behaviour on his phone as she began crying, “Why are you hurting me, why are you beating me?” even though he was on the other side of the room.

She went into the kitchen and came out with a kitchen knife before going to her car and calling the police. She reported her tenant had, “Used something sharp” to injure her face.

Police arrived and arrested the man but de-arrested him half an hour later after he showed them the phone footage of Runiewicz’s bizarre behaviour.

She was arrested, charged and admitted criminal damage and perverting the course of justice.

Speaking through a Polish interpreter, she told the hearing: “He kicked my dog, but I admit that I caused the injury to my face myself.”

Handing her a three-month jail sentence, suspended for a year, Recorder Adrian Reynolds said: “Miss Runiewicz, you behaved really stupidly that night, I think you know that now don’t you and look where it has got you? I have to pass a prison sentence…but providing you don’t re-offend, I hope you never have to serve that sentence.”

Read more about Derby.

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Prepare for changes to the repossession process post eviction ban

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As the ban on evictions comes to an end this month, letting agents are being warned to prepare for changes to the repossession process including a new pre-action protocol, a temporarily extended notice period and potentially longer waiting times for court hearings.

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How long will it now take to evict tenants?

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Hi, I have given my tenant 3 months notice Section 21. This ended Aug 9th so technically they should be out, but they are now milking the system. They have asked for more time.

I told them I have to move in so need them out!

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Is it legal just to register a TR1 after death?

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Hello everyone and thanks in advance for your advice. As in the title: Is it legal for a TR1 form to be registered after the death of the owner?

I had a relative that died on the 22nd and according to his new wife wanted to transfer 50% of his property to her which he owned outright.

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