Residential tenants cannot be evicted until at least 23rd August 2020

On 5^th June 2020, the government announced that it would extend the suspension of new evictions until 23^rd August 2020 from the former deadline of 25^th June 2020 (see previous article A complete ban on residential home evictions – Covid-19).

Announcing the extension, Housing Secretary Rt Hon Robert Jenrick MP confirmed that the measures would take the overall ban on evictions to five months and will ensure that “no-one will be evicted from their home this summer due to Coronavirus.”

The extension on the ban of evictions will come in to force via an amendment to Part 55 of the Civil Procedure Rules 1998 (CPR) (pursuant to The Civil Procedure (Amendment No. 2) (Coronavirus) Rules 2020 (SI 2020/582)).

On 25^th June 2020 a new, temporary rule will be inserted in Part 55, to provide that possession proceedings and enforcement proceedings by way of a writ or a warrant for possession are stayed until 23 August 2020 – rather than an extension of Practice Direction 51Z, which was itself put in place to ensure that during the Coronavirus pandemic enforcement of orders are carried out so as not to endanger public health.

Tenants are still liable for their rent and should pay this as usual.

Landlords can still serve notices on tenants and can issue court proceedings during the period (albeit, they will be automatically put on pause until after 23^rd August.)

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