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A Government report released in April shows a stark picture of how households are coping with their housing costs and savings in the pandemic. The problems apply to both the home-owning and rental sectors, but renters seem to have been hardest hit. The Second Wave Household Resilience Study After more than a year of the pandemic, the Government has published a study of how households are holding up in the wake of the

With lockdown being cautiously eased, many businesses are looking forward to reopening, especially those in the retail and hospitality sectors. However, many of these have been closed, or at least operating on a restricted basis, for the past thirteen months and will find reopening difficult. However, a new wave of government support for businesses started on 6th April, under the Recovery Loan Scheme (RLS). One Schem

On the 10th March, the Government announced that the current moratorium on evictions will be extended until 31st May, for both domestic and commercial tenancies. This is clearly good news both for people who rent their home and for struggling businesses, but not necessarily for equally struggling landlords. So, does this mean that no evictions can take place, regardless of the circumstances? The Extension of the Mora

The financial effects of the pandemic have been severe on many of us, whether we’re acting as companies, landlords or individuals. One lifeline has been the ability to take “payment holidays” in the repayment of mortgages, loans or debts. This has been invaluable — but is it really the straightforward benefit it seems? Recent research by Resolver suggests it may not be. Payment Holidays Early in the

If you take out a writ of control against someone who owes you money, there are currently extra hurdles to get over. Besides backlogs in the court system, in some cases, bailiffs won’t be able to enter the debtor’s property. However, it’s still possible to effectively enforce a writ. You just have to be careful that you get everything right. In What Order Are Writs Dealt With? There’s an old c

2020 has been a difficult year in so many ways. Quite apart from the struggles of living in lockdown, the disruption has had a devastating effect on many bank balances. Two recent reports show the growing level of hardship many households are facing and the debt burden being taken on to cope with this. 30% of Households Facing Hardship Research by the Resolution Foundation suggests that incomes have fallen significan

During the first Covid-19 lockdown, we were in unknown territory, and rules had to be worked out on the go. This time, we’re more used to being locked down, and regulations (many of which are much the same as for tiers 2 and 3) have been put quickly in place. And this includes the regulations for enforcement visits for writs of control, writs of possession and serving eviction orders. The Rules for Writs of Con

A legal expert for ARLA Propertymark has said letting agents and landlords should consider serving a second Section 8 notice if rental arrears accrue to more than six months of missed payments, even if their original Section 8 has yet to come into force. This is because of a crucial change at the six months of arrears mark, when the notice period for tenants drops from six months to just four weeks. Robert Bolwell a

Since the Covid-19 lockdown began, it’s been difficult not only to initiate claims for debt recovery, but even to enforce orders already granted by the courts. This is because many enforcement visits have been suspended, making repayment entirely dependent on the debtor choosing to obey the order. However, the lockdown is being gradually eased. We can eat at a restaurant, enjoy a pint at a pub and even have a h

As you’re no doubt aware, in March the government brought in measures effectively preventing landlords from evicting tenants during the coronavirus lockdown. This was originally intended to run until this month, but the government has now extended the moratorium on evictions until 23rd August 2020. What Does This Mean for Me? One expected announcement that hasn’t materialised is that tenants would be gran