New laws will suspend any evictions due to loss of income for the next three months.
If your work has shut down and you’re feeling anxious about paying your rent in the midst of a pandemic, there is a little bit of good news coming out today. The government will be introducing emergency legislation that will suspend new evictions from rented accommodation, in a bid to stop out-of-work renters from being forced out of their homes during a time of crisis.
Landlords are now barred from beginning eviction procedures for the next three months, with the hope being that any potential evictions can be deferred until the pandemic has subsided. This is especially welcome news for Londoners, who naturally face some of the highest rents in the country for the mere privilege of living in the greatest city on Earth.
It coincides with a freeze on mortgage payments (announced yesterday) being extended to landlords whose tenants are suffering financial difficulties, which should help these landlords from falling into financial trouble themselves. Announcing the move, Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick said: “The Government is clear – no renter who has lost income due to coronavirus will be forced out of their home, nor will any landlord face unmanageable debts.”
As for the longer term questions of soaring rents in the capital, and a housing market evermore out of reach for anyone not earning six figures – I guess they’re on the backburner until this whole pandemic thing is fixed?