Blog: What landlords need to know about notice period changes
Late on Friday afternoon, the Government announced a significant change at short notice to the way possession works in England.
Following on from the eleventh hour extension to the ban on possession proceedings the week before, the Government has now introduced a number of changes to the required notice period for Section 8 and Section 21 notices.
After extensive lobbying from the NRLA, the changes to notice periods are far more positive than initially expected. Landlords can once again require possession in a relatively timely fashion from anti-social tenants and those in serious rent arrears – subject to the stay on possession claims being lifted and reduced capacity in the courts.
For an update on possession in Wales, please read our online guide.
When do these new rules apply?
These rules came into force on Saturday 29 August 2020 and apply to all possession notices served on or after that date. Landlords who posted a notice on Friday 28 August 2020. Or hand-delivered it to their tenants after 4:30PM should also re-serve their notices following these new rules.
These rules apply until 31 March 2021.