The government has confirmed that the evictions ban is to end on the 23rd August and that the courts will re-open for possession hearings the next day, Monday 24th August. The announcement was made by Lord Greenhalgh;
“This is an important step towards ending the lockdown and will protect landlords’ important right to regain their property.
Work is underway with the judiciary, legal representatives and the advice sector on arrangements, including new rules, to ensure that judges have all the information necessary to make just decisions and that the most vulnerable tenants can get the help they need when possession cases resume.”
This last paragraph is a reference to the pre-action protocols that the government has been working on in recent weeks that will require landlords to work much more closely with financially struggling tenants before a judge will allow a possession hearing to be granted.
