Yesterday, Robert Jenrick, Housing Secretary made a further announcement that the six-month notice periods and bailiff enforced eviction bans will be extended to 31 May 2021 to protect residential and social tenants as the country moves through the roadmap. The Housing Secretary announced that the Government has - "taken unprecedented action to support both commercial and residential tenants throughout the pandemic – with a £280 billion economic package to keep businesses running and people in jobs and able to meet their outgoings, such as rent. These measures build on the government’s action to provide financial support as restrictions are lifted over the coming months – extending the furlough scheme, business rates holiday and the Universal Credit uplift."

Ensuring that renters remain protected until the end of May, whilst national restrictions remain in place will align with the broader strategy for protecting public health and will continue to help reduce pressure on essential public services as we start to move out of lockdown. The government will consider the best approach to move away from emergency protections from the beginning of June, taking into account public health advice and the wider roadmap.

For the residential sector, court arrangements and rules introduced in September have been extended to the end of July 2021 to ensure that the most serious cases, such as anti-social behaviour or fraud, are prioritised and landlords will be required to provide the courts with information on how the pandemic has impacted their tenants. For claims issued before 3 August 2020 the service of a reactivation notice has been extended to 30 April 2021.