This covers England and Wales
In March the Coronavirus Act 2020 was introduced and Schedule 29 of the act amended the rules for landlords serving notice on tenants. The act extended the notice period for section 21 notices from 2 months to 3 months. In July, for Wales, and the end of August for England, there have been further amendments.
Now if a landlord serves a Section 21 in England or Wales the notice period must be a minimum of 6 months’ notice. This rule will be in place at least until 31 March 2021. However a section 21 still cannot end before a fixed term.
Similarly the requirements for section 8 notices have in most cases increased from 3 months in March 2020 to 6 months. Grounds 7A and 14 have been taken out of the Coronavirus Act rules so the normal Housing Act 1988 rules will now apply again. This is because both governments have decided that anti-social behaviour needs to be addressed, even during the pandemic. In Wales ground 8 for serious rent arrears, at least two months of rent lawfully due and unpaid, is increased from three months’ notice to six months’ notice. However in England ground 8 is reduced from three months to four weeks.
The rules about combining grounds on the same notice are quite complex, particularly for England, and it is recommended legal advice is sought before serving any notice is considered.
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