Jul

LATEST: Wales resumes preparations for ‘bombshell’ six-month long notice periods

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The Welsh Government is to resume plans to reform possession rules which would triple the notice period a tenant must be given to six months.

It had paused the legislative process for the Renting Homes (Amendment) Bill back in April as the coronavirus pandemic raged but has now announced a timetable which should see the new regime for the private rented sector in place on 1^stApril 2021.

The proposed legislation will extend the minimum notice period from two to six months as ministers want tenants to be given much more time to get ready to leave a property after a landlord has decided to take repossession via a ‘no fault’ Section 21 eviction, particularly if they have children in a local school, are in ill health or want to find a property to rent nearby.

If passed, a letting agent or landlord wanting to evict a tenant via a no-fault notice will have to wait until six months have passed from the beginning of the tenancy, serve notice and then wait for a further six months.

The National Residential Landlords Association has said that the bill represents, “further neglect of the reasonable arguments of conscientious, compliant, and responsible PRS landlords”.

It adds that by extending the notice period to six months, a landlord could suffer half a year of arrears or the tenant’s neighbours half a year of anti-social behaviour, before the property is returned to the owner.

Welsh Ministers are already bringing in significant changes to the rental sector with the introduction of the Renting Homes (Wales) Act which replaces the secure tenancy and assured tenancy regimes which currently operate under the Housing Act 1985 and Housing Act 1988 respectively.

View Full Article: LATEST: Wales resumes preparations for ‘bombshell’ six-month long notice periods