Labour urges government to ban evictions for renters with coronavirus

Labour is calling on the government to ban evictions for those who fall behind on their rent payments due to the Covid-19 pandemic that has seen a total of 1,543 positive tests in the UK so far.

John Healey, Shadow Housing Secretary, has published draft legislation this afternoon that would mean any non-payment of rent due to coronavirus is not counted as legal grounds for eviction.

Labour is urging the government to immediately adopt the bill, which initially covers any rent arrears accumulating between March 1st and September 1st but provides the option of extending this period.

The party argues that this move is essential for protecting over 20 million people – including three million households with children – who rent their homes from private, council or housing association landlords.

It has pointed out that two thirds of private renters and more than eight in ten social renters have no savings, according to government data, making them particularly vulnerable to financial shocks.

Announcing the move, John Healey said: “Our current threadbare legal safety net means renters are vulnerable to eviction if they get ill and fall behind on their rent. The fear of being evicted may also mean workers are reluctant stay off work and self-isolate.

“Our emergency legislation would protect renters from eviction and we urge the government to work with us to adopt it and implement it at the earliest opportunity.

“This is an essential first step in public reassurance, giving people confidence they can follow official health advice in responding to coronavirus without putting their home at risk.”

Jeremy Corbyn called for rent deferrals and mortgage holidays, as well as increased statutory sick pay and further protections for workers, in a letter to the Prime Minister over the weekend.

Below is the text of the draft legislation.

LANDLORD AND TENANT (TEMPORARY PROVISIONS) BILL 2020

Coronavirus emergency rent relief

1) This Section applies where:

(a) a person (“A”) is:

(i) a protected or statutory tenant within the meaning of the Rent Act 1977;

(ii) a secure tenant within the meaning of the Housing Act 1985; or,

(iii) an assured tenant within the meaning of the Housing Act 1988.

And

(b) A is under a contractual obligation to pay rent to a landlord under the aforementioned tenancy

And

(c) A has failed to pay rent that was lawfully due between 1 March 2020 and 1 September 2020

And

(d) That failure to pay rent was, in any way, related to the effects of the coronavirus disease

2) If the conditions in the previous clause are met, then the rent specified in sub-clause (c) is not to be treated as lawfully due for the purposes of:

(a) Schedule 15, Case 1, Rent Act 1977;

(b) Schedule 2, Ground 1, Housing Act 1985; or,

(c) Schedule 2, Grounds 8, 10, or 11, Housing Act 1988.

3) No court proceedings for a money judgment in respect of any arrears within the meaning of clause 1 may be brought before 1 December 2021.

4) The Secretary of State may, by Order, amend clause 1(c) to specify a later date than 1 September 2020 and may amend the date in subsection (3) to specify a later date than 1 December 2021.

5) In this Act, coronavirus disease means COVID-19