A Clearer View

Lisa Simon, Partner and Head of Residential Division, offers a practical view on residential letting issues currently in the news.

The Government has recently announced important changes regarding notice periods and right to rent checks

Notices: Changes from 1st June 2021

From 1st June 2021, the current 6 month notice period that a Landlord has to give a Tenant by serving a Section 21 (Form 6a) will end. 

From 1st June 2021, all notice periods will reduce to 4 months. 

From 1st October 2021, the notice period will reduce to 2 months. 

From 1st June 2021 Section 8 notices (Form 3) will also change as follows:

• Excess of 4 months’ accumulated rent arrears - 4 weeks’ notice
• Anti-social behaviour - no notice to 4 weeks’ notice
• Domestic abuse – 2-4 weeks’ notice
• False statement – 2-4 weeks’ notice
• Breach of immigration rules – 2 weeks’ notice
• Death of a tenant – 2 months’ notice

It is important to note that if notice has already been served before 1st June 2021, it can not be re-served to reduce the notice period.  

Bailiff evictions will also re-start from 1st June 2021, with Tenants given 2 weeks’ notice of eviction unless the Tenant is self-isolating or displaying Covid 19 symptoms.

Right to Rent: Changes from June 2021

The Government has also announced that the reintroduction of face to face/physical document checks for Right to Rent checks will be delayed and will start again on 21st June 2021. 

The Government has also decided that there is no requirement to carry out retrospective face to face/physical document checks on Tenants who have had a virtual check between 30th March 2020 and 20th June 2021. 

Please note, if Carter Jonas manages your property our team will undertake the Right to Rent checks for you at the start of a tenancy and at the point of renewal.

The current guidance for letting agents and landlords on conducting right to rent checks on citizens of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein is expected to change on 30 June 2021.