PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Private Rented Housing: Coronavirus (3 July 2020)

To help prevent tenants getting into financial hardship or rent arrears, the Government has put in place an unprecedented support package. This includes support for business to pay staff salaries, as well as boosting the welfare system with?over £6.5 billion. These significant financial measures will help support tenants to continue to pay their living costs, including rental payments.

Landlords must follow strict procedures if they want to gain possession of their property, depending on the?type of tenancy agreement?in place and the terms of it. This currently includes providing tenants with at least 3 months notice.

My Department is working closely with the Ministry of Justice and the judiciary on arrangements. These include new rules, to ensure that when the suspension of possession proceedings ends, the courts are better able to address the need for appropriate protection of all parties, including those shielding from coronavirus. This is to ensure that judges have all the information necessary to make just decisions within the current legislative framework and that the most vulnerable tenants will get the help they need.