Important Changes to Notices and Evictions You Need to be Aware of – June 2021

Coronavirus changed the rules for evicting a tenant in England and Wales. New measures were also announced in Scotland. 

Essentially – to protect people from become homeless during the global pandemic – the government banned bailiff-enforced evictions across the UK.

You can read our post about that here.

But the current ban on bailiff-enforced evictions, introduced as an emergency measure during lockdown, ended on 31 May 2021. Bailiffs have been asked not to carry out an eviction if anyone living in the property has COVID-19 symptoms or is self-isolating.

Similarly, notice periods – previously extended to 6 months as an emergency measure during the pandemic – will be set at 4 months from 1 June (for most tenancies).

In Scotland, whether evictions can be enforced depends on what COVID ‘level’ the property is in. Evictions can be enforced in Level 2 and below. They cannot be enforced in Levels 3 and 4.

And in Wales – as we mentioned in our February newsletter – the notice period required to serve a valid eviction notice remains at six months. 

We’d always recommend reading the direct government guidance on the changes to the law, which you can find here.

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