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<p>The Government have no plans to ban rent increases during the COVID-19 outbreak
as we have already announced extensive measures to protect renters affected by coronavirus.
Through the Coronavirus Act 2020, we have introduced legislation to delay when landlords
are able to evict tenants. The legislation does this either by extending the notice
period that a landlord is required to serve on a tenant to at least three months or,
in some cases, creating a three months’ notice requirement where a requirement to
give notice does not currently exist. The Master of the Rolls, with the agreement
of the Lord Chancellor, suspended all ongoing housing possession cases for 90 days
from 27 March 2020.</p><p>All tenants remain liable for their rent and those who can
afford to should continue to pay it. At the end of this period, if arrears have built
up, landlords and tenants will be expected to work together to establish an affordable
repayment plan, taking into account the tenants’ individual circumstances. For tenants
in social housing, landlords will continue to work closely with residents to help
them manage their rent and ensure they can access all benefits they are entitled to.</p><p>Alongside
this legislative protection, the Chancellor has put in place an unprecedented support
package including support for business to pay staff salaries, as well as a strengthening
of the welfare safety-net with a £7 billion boost to Universal Credit, income tax
and VAT deferrals. And we’ve increased Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates so that
they are set at the 30th percentile of market rents in each area. These significant
financial measures will help to support tenants to continue to pay their living costs,
including rental payments. We have also extended the three month mortgage payment
holiday to landlords with Buy to Let mortgages whose tenants are experiencing financial
difficulties due to coronavirus.</p>
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