Court Procedures – A Marathon not a Sprint for Landlords

This was always going to be a marathon…

…but every time we see sight of the dash to the finish, the line keeps getting further and further away.

That’s happened yet again, with another extension to the court procedures relating to possession claims.

What was due to expire on the 28th March 2021, will now be in place until 30th July 2021.

For now, anyway.

Another extension for landlords to take on the chin then, when all they’ve done for the last ten months is roll with the punches.

The changes were originally implemented to avoid a so called ‘cliff edge’ of eviction, but this proverbial cliff edge doesn’t seem to nearing the doors of many bad tenants, some of whom are now racking up a year’s worth of unpaid rent.

As a further warning to landlords, we would also make the fairly safe assumption that the longer notice periods, also brought in as part of the Coronavirus Legislation, will be extended too.

More on that as and when we find out.

Stays on evictions are not connected to the latest court proceedings changes, which is some comfort, but would any of us be surprised if this was extended in due course as well?

Probably not.

Further changes include an alteration of the rules for practice directions to be created, in response to the current pandemic and any other future health crisis.

This could work both ways, and we are hopeful on behalf of our clients that some consideration has gone to the landlord industry with this tweak.

Last week we talked about the moratoriums which will come into effect from the 4th May, and these latest changes have set out how an application can be made for a moratorium to be cancelled, as well as how claimants must notify the courts about any changes or cancellations to debts they have been managing.

Important information know.

So, landlords, the pace needs to be maintained for now, and it’s hardly time to start sprinting for the finish line.

We can’t even see it yet.

As ever, we’ll keep you posted, mile by mile. Hang in there!

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