Sim Sekhon: The lift on tenant eviction ban shouldn’t cause panic.

On the 20 September the Government lifted the ban on evicting tenants. The ban was put in place to help tenants who were struggling financially during the Pandemic and has been in place since March 2020. With emotions running high it’s understandable that tenants are concerned about the effects of the ban being lifted and the security of their home, but what’s the real effect of this news?

In reality, I don’t foresee it triggering a knee-jerk reaction and I fully expect landlords to continue acting in the best interests of their tenants. The lift on the 6-month ban means that landlords will be taking action against urgent cases such as major arrears, anti-social behaviour and situations of domestic abuse. They’ll also be able to proceed with cases that were suspended before Covid-19 and these will be treated as priority by the Court system. The Courts have imposed strict measures on evictions and it’s worth noting that Section 21 evictions (where the tenant is at no fault) will not be prioritised. Also, where a geographical area has been put into lockdown, eviction notices will not proceed.

In my experience, the last thing landlords want is to evict tenants for no good reason. They will always endeavour to mediate a situation and help with financial issues before going down a path of eviction. The process is cumbersome and costly for all involved and really is the worst-case scenario. If tenants are genuinely concerned, I encourage them to reach out to their landlords and voice their concerns early, that way measures can be put in place to avoid unnecessary stress.