No enforcement of Possession Orders except for the most serious cases

No enforcement of Possession Orders except for the most serious cases

16:34 PM, 5th November 2020, About 3 years ago 5

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In a letter to the High Court Enforcement Officers Association the Justice Secretary, Robert Buckland, has confirmed that during the lockdown there will be no enforcement of Possession Orders except for the most serious cases during the second national lockdown.

These will include those related to illegal trespassing and squatting and tenants engaged in anti-social behaviour, fraud or deception. The Government has also confirmed that it will bring forward an exemption from the enforcement ban for cases related to extreme pre-COVID rent arrears.

Ben Beadle, Chief Executive of the National Residential Landlords Association, said: “The vast majority of landlords who have had tenants affected due to the pandemic have been working constructively to support them. We continue to encourage and support such action.

“However, in a minority of cases renters have abused the protections afforded by the recent ban on repossessions, causing significant hardship. It is therefore important that the Government recognises that in the most serious cases enforcement action must continue.”

The announcement comes as the Government has today announced that the furlough scheme and equivalent support for the self-employed is to be extended until March next year.  According to research for the Resolution Foundation as of September 9% of private renters in the UK were reliant on the furlough scheme.

Ben continued: “The extension of the furlough scheme and support for those who are self-employed will be a lifeline to many renters reliant on it. However, this still does not address the considerable rent arrears that tenants and landlords continue to face due to the pandemic through no fault of their own.

“Ministers need urgently to develop a bespoke financial package for renters to pay off such arears. This should include a mix of interest-free government guaranteed hardship loans and increased benefit support for those who rely on it.”


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Comments

Reluctant Landlord

20:33 PM, 5th November 2020, About 3 years ago

The government are chucking money about like confetti so how about pushing the big red button at UC HQ to immediately ensure all LL's get all rent paid directly too?
No skin of their noses as they clearly don't actually care where the money goes, only it might mean that the LL doesn't go bankrupt and end up on the housing list too....

LaLo

13:34 PM, 6th November 2020, About 3 years ago

Write to the housing minister - who ever that is !

moneymanager

13:52 PM, 6th November 2020, About 3 years ago

It wasn't long ago that Jenrick wrote of the government's "thanks" to landlords for their "forebearance", when something is either banned or compulsory it is not forebearance as that is a voluntary act, I wonder if the Council will extend "forbearance" when they shortly receive three emails saying "terrbily sorry chaps but I can't let and I can't sell because of Jenrick dysfunctional EWS1 and like Rocco Forte we have no cash, I'll se you right when, or if, we do".

psquared

14:41 PM, 6th November 2020, About 3 years ago

It seems to me that small landlords are twixt a rock and a hard plate. We are such an easy target for the government. At no cost to them (immediately) they are avoiding finding money to house an avalanche of people who would be homeless and if we do try to fight what is patently unfair we will be seen as the "bad" landlords trying to make people homeless.

I currently house about 60 people in a variety of HMO and single dwellings tenancies. I have 5 people who are just not able to pay the rent and so I am receiving 50% of the rent with probably no hope of future recovery and I have 2 tenants who are simply playing the system knowing I am totally impotent to do anything about them living in over 1/4 million pounds were of housing (2 houses)for the last 8 months free of charge with the likelyhood its going to be another 6 months minimum probably another year before I can get them out.
There is not one shred of recognition from the government that some small landlords are in a crisis situation. I am very fortunate I have a low LTV portfolio and the vast majority of my tenants are playing ball and helping me to keep the others in a home for free.
The government know we are not very good at lobbying and we are a relatively small group so why worry what happens to us.
But it is already effecting the ability of people to rent. I have upped my letting criteria to the point I have already turned down 6 possible applicants. I now want to have a strong guarantor to back up the application or at the very least to be able to insure the rent for 12 months which requires tenants to have an almost impeccable credit history. Anecdotally other landlords seem to have decided on the same course of action (would be interested to hear what others are doing)......And to be totally honest I have got to the point that I have had enough of the constantly changing legislation and the swingeing taxes that seem to be piling endlessly on landlords.
I am nearly at retirement age anyway so I am naturally winding down but I really fear that the btl market is going to contract and not sure what is going to happen to all the people who will be wanting to rent.

rant over!

LaLo

16:52 PM, 6th November 2020, About 3 years ago

With fines of £30.000 - 'unlimited' if you get your housing conditions wrong, we may well join the homeless. Another reason to write to the housing minister!

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