During yesterday's update, Boris Johnson announced that the Government is preparing emergency legislation to prevent both private and social tenants from being evicted from their homes during these uncertain times.
Currently, the precise components of the legislation have not been confirmed, however Boris Johnson has indicated that under the legislation all new evictions will be suspended and no new possession proceedings will be permitted. Alongside this, he confirmed that housing associations will not evict tenants who are affected by the virus and consequentially fall behind on rent payments. Of course, whilst this offers a great deal of protection to Tenants, it creates uncertainty for those Landlords who have experienced issues with their Tenants before this international emergency. Albeit, "mortgage holidays" have been proposed by the Government to seek to overcome this.
The Lord Chief Justice has today issued guidance in respect of possession proceedings and outlines that the priority at this stage will be Applications to suspend warrants of possession. He has also explained that Judges dealing with any possession claim must consider public health guidance and no court order that risks impacting public house will be permitted.
The current circumstances create a high degree of uncertainty for both Landlords and Tenants. As a firm, we are continuing to closely monitor the Government's guidance and our team of experts are on hand to offer advice to Landlords and Tenants during this difficult time.
Our dedicated team are on hand to provide expert advice on all aspects relating to Landlord and Tenant Law. For more information on the Landlord and Tenant services we offer, please visit our dedicated webpage.
For more information or to discuss your individual circumstances in further detail, contact us today on 01603 693500 or email us using the 'Make and enquiry' form on our website. Appointments are available at our Norwich, North Walsham and Sheringham offices.
