In news that may not be of direct relevance to our tenants and landlords in Bath, but could nonetheless be a suggestion of things to come, the Welsh government has introduced a bill that will permanently extend minimum notice periods for landlords.
The new legislation, which will be implemented before the end of the current Assembly in May 2021, will require landlords to serve a minimum of six months’ notice to end a tenancy. Such a notice cannot be served during the first six months of the tenancy, thereby preventing a landlord from ending a tenancy earlier than 12 months.
While in some cases these changes will provide more financial security for landlords, it also means it will take landlords 12 months to reclaim their property in the case of “no fault evictions”.
Angela Davey, ARLA Propertymark President
The future of Section 21 in England, or the ‘no-fault’ eviction as it’s commonly known, has been a major talking point since the last General Election, when the Conservatives promised to reform the evictions process. Since then, their response to the Covid-19 pandemic saw the introduction of temporary six month notice periods for landlords, a measure that is due to run until the 31st of March.
It isn’t yet clear what will happen to notice periods in England – they will either revert back to 2 months, or the government will extend the current measures temporarily or permanently. What we can be sure of is that changes will be made to Section 21, and perhaps the Welsh Bill is a sign of things to come.
Reside is an award-winning independent letting agent in Bath. Please get in touch if you would like to discuss any aspect of letting or managing your property; we would love to hear from you.
Toby holds a Level 3 ARLA Propertymark qualification and runs the 'engine room' at Reside, making sure that properties are perfectly-presented and that they are let quickly at a good rent. When not working, Toby is happiest when enjoying a day's cricket.
