23 September, 2021 Open access
23 September, 2021 Open access
New statutory instrument
New regulations have been issued in relation to the period over which Covid-19 related modifications to notice of eviction requirements in Wales apply.
In force from 30 September 2021, the Coronavirus Act 2020 (Residential Tenancies: Protection from Eviction) (No. 3) (Wales) Regulations 2021 (SI.No.1064/2021) extend the 'relevant period' during which modifications to statutory provisions relating to the period of notice that needs to be given in order to seek possession of dwellings - made by provisions in schedule 29 to the Coronavirus Act 2020 - so that it expires on 31 December 2021.
NB - from 24 July 2020 amendments made by section 29 of the 2020 Act were brought into force by SI.No.778/2020 including requirements for landlords of assured and assured shorthold tenants in Wales to give six instead of three months notice to end a tenancy. Modifications were later made to schedule 29 provisions to introduce the longer notice period to other tenancy types including protected and demoted tenancies (by SI.No.1044/2020), while the expiry date of the provisions was also extended a number of times, the most recent being to 30 September 2021 by SI.No.708/2021.
Setting out the government's reasons for extending the measures, the explanatory memorandum to the new regulations advises -
'There is an urgent need to ensure that the relevant period is extended beyond the 30 September. The number of people under immediate threat of eviction from their homes must be kept low, in order to continue to contribute to the range of measures in place that respond to the continuing effects of the pandemic. Consequently, these Regulations come into force on 30 September 2021 in order to ensure that there is no gap in the protection given to tenants... '
SI.No.1064/2021 is available from legislation.gov.uk
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