Coronavirus evictions ban extended until September in latest government U-turn

The government has extended its temporary ban on evicting tenants by a month after it was warned that letting it lapse would create a "wave of homelessness".

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government confirmed on Friday afternoon that the suspension of evictions would continue until 20 September.

Landlords will also be required to give any tenants they want to evict six months notice, with this separate provision in force until "at least 31 March 2021", ministers said.

Evictions in England were due to start again on Sunday, with 227,000 private renters known to have fallen into arrears as of the end of June. 174,000 are known to have been threatened with eviction by their landlord or agent.

The Scottish government has already extended a full ban on evictions to March 2021, while the Welsh government has required anyone being evicted to be given six months notice.

Labour's shadow minister for legal aid, Karl Turner, said it was "utterly jaw-dropping" that the government had "sat on their hands until just before a self-made homelessness crisis".

Think-tank the Institute for Public Policy Research said the government should go further and extend the ban for six months.

“Today’s announcement provides renters with some breathing space. However, we know they are more likely to have been adversely affected by Covid-19," said Luke Murphy, IPPR associate director.

"Even now, the government is withdrawing measures of support for private renters sooner than they are for landlords, who can obtain a mortgage holiday until the end of October.

"Ministers must step-in and extend the ban on evictions for another six months if they are to prevent a potential surge in homelessness.”

Housing charities welcomed the move but said more needed to be done. Polly Neate, chief executive of Shelter said the government had "dodged a bullet" on homelessness and that it "must use this short window of time wisely to put proper safeguards in place for renters".

Ghazal Haqani, an organiser with the London Renters Union, said: “This U-turn has been forced through by people power. But until there’s a permanent evictions ban and rent debt is forgiven, the government will just be kicking the can down the road.

“We’ve had a series of short-term extensions, and that's caused enormous misery and stress for renters like me. Because so many of us are in arrears, we have been constantly worried for months that we are about to become totally defenceless against landlords who want to kick us out of our homes. It looks like that could happen all over again in September.

“Rents have been sky high for decades, the pandemic has cut our incomes and this recession has only just begun. Of course we’re in arrears, and of course we’re not going to be able to pay off our rent debt for a very long time.”

One group not pleased by the extension was landlords. The National Residential Landlords Association said the extension was "unacceptable".

“An enormous amount of work as gone into finding a balance between supporting tenants who have been affected by the pandemic and preventing significant financial harm to landlords, in accordance with the Government’s promise. This announcement satisfies no-one," said Ben Beadle, the organisation's CEO.

Announcing the move, Housing secretary Robert Jenrick said: “I know this year has been challenging and all of us are still living with the effects of COVID-19. That is why today I am announcing a further four week ban on evictions, meaning no renters will have been evicted for six months.

“I am also increasing protections for renters - six month notice periods must be given to tenants, supporting renters over winter.

“However, it is right that the most egregious cases, for example those involving anti-social behaviour or domestic abuse perpetrators, begin to be heard in court again; and so when courts reopen, landlords will once again be able to progress these priority cases.”