The emergency legislation is not retrospective and does not apply to notices issued before the legislation comes into force.<\/p>
The Lord Chief Justice issued guidance to judges on 19 March stating that applications to suspend warrants of possession should be prioritised, and that judges dealing with any possession claim during the crisis must have in mind the public health guidance and should not make an order that risks impacting on public health.<\/p>
We have also asked bailiffs and landlords to review all upcoming evictions, taking into account the current coronavirus public health guidance.<\/p>
We will also expect landlords to carefully consider existing cases and approach these sympathetically in light of the new challenges raised by the pandemic.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4075", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Christopher Pincher"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Tamworth"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Christopher Pincher"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2020-03-25", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "previousAnswerVersion" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1186646/answer/previousversion/14555", "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4075", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Christopher Pincher"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Tamworth"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Christopher Pincher"} } , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2020-03-25T17:22:44.677Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "7"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Housing, Communities and Local Government"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Housing, Communities and Local Government"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2020-03-19", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Private Rented Housing: Coronavirus"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the effect on (a) in-progress evictions and (b) households awaiting bailiffs when legislation on suspending evictions is introduced during the covid-19 outbreak.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4518", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Tulip Siddiq"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Hampstead and Kilburn"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Tulip Siddiq"} ], "uin" : "32279"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1186647", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1186647/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
Depending on the contractual provisions of the tenancy agreement, during the fixed term a tenant can still exercise a break clause in the tenancy agreement or negotiate a surrendering of the tenancy with the landlord. There are no plans to amend the existing process for surrendering a tenancy or to make changes to the basic contractual position of the tenant remaining liable for the rent for the whole of the fixed term.<\/p>
On 18 March, we announced a radical package of measures to protect renters and landlords affected by coronavirus. Emergency legislation has been brought forward as an urgent priority so that landlords will not be able to start proceedings to evict tenants for at least a three-month period. As a result of these measures, no renter in private or social accommodation needs to be concerned about the threat of eviction during this time.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4075", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Christopher Pincher"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Tamworth"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Christopher Pincher"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2020-03-27", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2020-03-27T13:57:22.657Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "7"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Housing, Communities and Local Government"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Housing, Communities and Local Government"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2020-03-19", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Private Rented Housing: Coronavirus"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans he has to amend the process for private renters to leave Assured Shorthold Tenancy agreements early if they can no longer afford to pay rent as a result of covid-19.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4518", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Tulip Siddiq"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Hampstead and Kilburn"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Tulip Siddiq"} ], "uin" : "32280"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1186651", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1186651/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
No change is being made to the basic contractual position of the tenant remaining liable for rent for the whole period of the fixed term of a tenancy agreement. However, depending on the contractual provisions of the tenancy agreement, during the fixed term of a tenancy a break clause in the tenancy agreement may be effected to bring that fixed term period to an end. A new tenancy could then be agreed between both landlord and tenant on different terms, including the specified amount of rent lawfully due.<\/p>
If the fixed terms of an assured shorthold tenancy have expired, and the tenancy is a statutory periodic tenancy, the terms of the tenancy agreement can be modified where mutually agreed by a landlord and a tenant and confirmed in writing.<\/p>
Any landlord wishing to modify a tenancy agreement with a tenant should seek legal advice in the first instance.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4075", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Christopher Pincher"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Tamworth"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Christopher Pincher"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2020-03-25", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "previousAnswerVersion" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1186651/answer/previousversion/14556", "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4075", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Christopher Pincher"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Tamworth"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Christopher Pincher"} } , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2020-03-25T14:06:30.297Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "7"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Housing, Communities and Local Government"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Housing, Communities and Local Government"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2020-03-19", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Private Rented Housing: Coronavirus"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans he has to introduce a process to amend or override specified rents in Assured Shorthold Tenancy agreements if landlords and tenants agree a temporary reduction in rent in response to the covid-19 outbreak.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4518", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Tulip Siddiq"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Hampstead and Kilburn"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Tulip Siddiq"} ], "uin" : "32283"} ], "itemsPerPage" : 10, "page" : 0, "startIndex" : 1, "totalResults" : 3, "type" : ["http://purl.org/linked-data/api/vocab#ListEndpoint", "http://purl.org/linked-data/api/vocab#Page"]} }