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Sep 29
Changes to Repossession Notice Periods
Notice periods for repossession in England in the private rental sector return to pre-COVID lengths from 1 October 2021, mainly from 4 months to 2 months for Assured Shorthold and Assured Tenancies. This applies to Sections 8 and 21 of the Housing Act 1988.
Following the pandemic, the UK Government introduced in March 2020 the Coronavirus Act 2020 affecting notice periods for serving Sections 8 and 21. In August 2020, it increased all notices to 6 months for most grounds. From 1 June 2021 until 30 September 2021, notice periods had to be at least 4 months in most circumstances apart from exemptions* for the most serious cases.
From 1 August 2021, notice periods for cases where there are less than 4 months of unpaid rent have been reduced back to 2 months’ notice.
From 1 October 2021, notice periods for sections 8 and 21 of the Housing Act 1988 return to pre-pandemic lengths, mostly 2 months. Landlords must ensure that they use the newly amended forms for Section 8 (Form 3) and Section 21 (Form 6a).
* List of exemptions with a shorter notice period:
- Anti-social behaviour
- 6 months’ worth of rent arrears
- Trespassers and squatters (Civil Procedure rules apply)
- Domestic violence
- Illegal activity
- Offence during a riot
- False information provided by the tenant or one of their referees/ guarantors (ie. no right to rent in the UK)
You can find more details on the Government’s website here.
If you are not sure what section to serve to your tenants, please feel free to contact us for free advice.
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