Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to prevent covid-19 related evictions following the lifting of the eviction ban.

The stay on possession proceedings has been extended until 20 September 2020, meaning that in total no tenant can have been legally evicted for 6 months at the height of the pandemic.

Legislation has been introduced that means, from 29 August 2020, landlords must give tenants six months’ notice before they can evict in most circumstances, apart from the most egregious cases such as incidents of anti-social behaviour and domestic abuse perpetrators. This will be in force until 31 March 2021.

In addition, new court rules, which will come into force on 20 September, will mean landlords will need to set out in their claim any relevant information about a tenant’s circumstances, including information on the effect of the Covid-19 pandemic. Where this information is not provided, judges will have the ability to adjourn proceedings.

We will keep these measures under review?and decisions?will continue?to be guided by the latest public health advice.