Date Published 18 March 2020
The government is promising emergency legislation to suspend new evictions from social or rented accommodation for the duration of the coronavirus crisis.
Under urgent new laws, landlords will not be able to start proceedings to evict tenants for at least three months.
Ministers have also confirmed the three-month mortgage holiday announced on Tuesday will be extended to landlords whose tenants are experiencing difficulties due to coronavirus.
This is aimed at alleviating the concerns of landlords, who might be worried about meeting mortgage payments, and should therefore mean no unnecessary pressure is put on their tenants.
The government is expecting landlords and tenants to work together to establish affordable repayment plans, taking into consideration tenants' individual circumstances, at the end of the period.
Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick said: "The government is clear - no renter who has lost income due to coronavirus will be forced out of their home, nor will any landlord face unmanageable debts.
"These are extraordinary times and renters and landlords alike are of course worried about paying their rent and mortgage. Which is why we are urgently introducing emergency legislation to protect tenants in social and private accommodation from an eviction process being started.
