Recently announced by the government, what has been dubbed as the Christmas eviction ‘truce’, will be upheld between December 11 and January 11.

During this 4-week window, agents will not be able to instruct bailiffs to carry out evictions in areas that are in local lockdowns such as parts of Leicester city.

Housing minister Chris Pincher clarified during the announcement: “Under the Coronavirus Act 2020, landlords serving notice of their intention to seek possession between August 21 and 29 would have been required to give their tenants at least three-months notice. It has now been extended to 6 months and this will be in place in England until at least 31 March 2021, apart from in cases involving things like anti-social behaviour and domestic abuse.”“

Where possession cases do go to court, new court rules mean that landlords are now required to set out any information they are aware of in relation to how their tenant, or any dependant of their tenant, has been affected by the Coronavirus pandemic. Where this information is not provided, judges have the ability to adjourn proceedings until such information is provided.”

Government support for UK landlords includes a mortgage payment holiday - which ends in October - that allows landlords with tenants experiencing financial difficulties due to the pandemic to the ease the burden. 

Tenants who had not paid rent for more than six months, and “the most egregious cases” cited by the government, such as anti-social behaviour would all come under the ‘exceptions' to the evictions truce.