CORONAVIRUS UPDATE
Emergency laws have been introduced in Wales to protect tenants from eviction for a temporary period.
From 29 September 2020, most tenants in Wales are entitled to 6 months’ notice before their landlord can start court action to evict them. This includes :
- assured shorthold tenants
- assured tenants
- regulated tenants
- secure council tenants
- introductory tenants
- demoted tenants.
You could be given a shorter notice in some cases. For example if you’re facing eviction for antisocial behaviour.
What if I received a notice from my landlord before the 29 September 2020?
- Most private or housing association tenants who got an eviction notice between 26 March 2020 and 23 July 2020 were entitled to 3 months’ notice
- Most private or housing association tenants who get an eviction notice between 24 July 2020 and 28 September 2020 were entitled to 6 months’ notice
- Most council tenants who got an eviction notice between 26 March 2020 and 28 September 2020 were entitled to 3 months’ notice.
What if my landlord has already started court proceedings to evict me?
An eviction ban was in place until the 20 September 2020.
This ban has ended and from 21 September 2020, the courts have been able to start to deal with evictions again.
However, during the ‘firebreak’ lockdown no evictions will take place. This means that any evictions that are scheduled to take place for the period during the firebreak will be postponed to a date after 9 November 2020.
Depending on what steps had been taken before the eviction ban, the legal process could still take several months.
If your landlord had started court proceedings to evict you before 3 August 2020 and wants to continue the proceedings they will need to send a notice to you and to the court. This is called a ‘Reactivation Notice’. In the notice they must give information to the court about the impact coronavirus has had on you and your family.
You will be contacted by the court if this happens and you will be told if there is to be a court hearing. The hearing might be dealt with by video or audio link.
You should still pay your rent while you are waiting to be contacted by the court. Make sure you tell your landlord about the affect that coronavirus has had on you and your family. Do this in an email or text and keep a copy so that you can show this to the court if asked.
