At Andrew Lees Lettings, we are fully committed to assisting landlords comply with regulations. We appreciate this has been a challenging year, and many landlords have had to make significant changes to their working practice.

We also know there have been issues with rental payments. The pandemic has impacted many people’s finances, and many landlords have borne the brunt of this.

There is a need to protect people struggling financially because of the pandemic. However, this has caused some landlords to struggle financially, and there is a need for landlords to be aware of issues which affect them and their tenants.

There has been an extension to the eviction band, and this is now in place until the end of March 2021.

Landlords should get to know the latest regulations

In England, the most recent change to eviction enforcement is that it is banned until the 31st of March 2021. Any landlord who is looking to begin eviction proceedings is required to provide six months’ notice, apart from instances where rent arrears extend beyond six months, where domestic abuse has occurred or where there is anti-social behaviour.

Housing secretary Robert Jenrick said: “By extending the ban on the enforcement of evictions by bailiffs, in all but the most serious cases, we are ensuring renters remain protected during this difficult time. Our measures strike the right balance between protecting tenants and enabling landlords to exercise their right to justice.”

Landlords and tenants need support

Ben Beadle, chief executive of the National Residential Landlords Association, said the announcement; “does nothing to help over 800,000 private renters who have built rent arrears since lockdown measures started last year”.

He also said; “It means debts will continue to mount to the point where they have no hope of paying them off. It will lead eventually to them having to leave their home and face serious damage to their credit scores.”

Mr Sajjad Ahmad, the British Landlords Association CEO, said: “The Government asked landlords to be reasonable when tackling rent arrears during the pandemic. Landlords have taken that challenge and acted gracefully, it’s time for the Government to do its part. It makes no sense forcing a landlord to apply for a county court bailiff. In many cases, the tenant pays no rent, and the landlord has to pay further costs of the bailiff process.”

Polly Neate, chief executive of Shelter, said: “Thousands of renters who’ve been living in fear of the bailiffs’ knock at the door have today been given a few more weeks in their home. This short extension to the bailiff ban may keep people safe for now, but it’s not an answer to the evictions crisis. Renters are still are being served with eviction notices every day, and our helpline is flooded with calls from those desperately worried about paying their rent.”

Polly Neate also said; “Before the ban is lifted, the government must give renters a real way out of debt. That means a lifeline of emergency grants to help pay off ‘COVID-arrears’ so people can avoid the terrifying risk of eviction altogether.”

As an experienced letting agent serving the Bridgwater community, and many of the surrounding areas, we are here to help. We promise to stay in touch with the latest technology, helping our clients to achieve more, and we aim to support the local community as best we can. If there is anything, we can assist you with; please contact Andrew Lees Lettings today.