COVID-19 Support for tenants and landlords (updated)

Author: Kate Berry

PDF Published: Wednesday 22 Sep 2021 (SB 21-64)

Expand
Overview
Report

Hide

Hide

Overview
Report
- Summary
- Introduction
- Summary of eviction process
- Temporary changes in response to Covid-19
  - Longer notice periods
  - Eviction grounds in private rented cases are discretionary
  - Rent arrears and pre-action requirements
  - Ban on enforcement of eviction orders
- Support for tenants and landlords
  - Support for tenants
  - Support for landlords
- What next?
  - Rent arrears
  - A rise in evictions?
  - Private rented sector evictions
  - Social sector evictions
- Sources of further information
Sources

Image: Temporary changes in response to Covid-19

Scottish Government . (2021, March 18). Supporting communities funding: speech by Communities Secretary 18 March 2020. Retrieved from https://www.gov.scot/publications/supporting-communities-funding-statement/ [accessed 20 April 2021]

Scottish Government . (2020, March 31). Coronavirus (Scotland) Bill: Policy Memorandum . Retrieved from Coronavirus (Scotland) Bill [accessed 20 April 2021]

Scottish Government. (2021, June 9). Coronavirus Acts seventh report to Scottish Parliament. Retrieved from https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-acts-seventh-report-scottish-parliament/ [accessed 23 June 2021]

Scottish Government. (2021, April). Coronavirus Acts: Sixth Report to Scottish Parliament. Retrieved from https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-acts-sixth-report-scottish-parliament/ [accessed 15 2021]

Scottish Government. (2021). Coronavirus (Extension and Expiry) (Scotland) Bill . Retrieved from https://www.parliament.scot/-/media/files/legislation/bills/s6-bills/coronavirus-extension-and-expiry-scotland-bill/introduced/policy-memorandum-accessible-version.pdf [accessed 5 July 2021]

Scottish Government. (2021, August 17). Covid recovery: justice system, health and public services reform. Retrieved from https://www.gov.scot/publications/covid-recovery-consultation-public-services-justice-system-reforms/pages/6/ [accessed 31 2021]

Shelter Scotland . (2020). Private residential tenants : how much notice should I get?. Retrieved from https://assets.ctfassets.net/6sqqfrl11sfj/25HMSJ97ObjnYqG8nn722f/e8b84e9375a14dc4780793ed4b99eeff/Shelter_Scotland_Factsheet_-_Notice_Periods_for_Private_Residential_Tenants.pdf [accessed 20 April 2021]

Shelter Scotland. (2021). Scottish Secure Tenancy: How much notice should I get?. Retrieved from https://assets.ctfassets.net/6sqqfrl11sfj/N6rGpm861KryaUEFjOMFv/f0b71ea7ca13449cf6f35cfcee4e56fa/Shelter_Scotland_Factsheet_-_Notice_Periods_for_Scottish_Secure_Tenants.pdf [accessed 21 April 2021]

Scottish Government . (2020, October 9). Coronavirus (COVID-19): pre-action requirements and seeking repossession of private rented housing on rent arrears grounds. Retrieved from https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-for-private-landlords-on-seeking-repossession-of-private-rented-housing-on-rent-arrears-grounds/ [accessed 20 April 2021]

Scottish Housing News . (2021, September 24). Scottish Greens call for winter evictions ban. Retrieved from https://www.scottishhousingnews.com/article/scottish-greens-call-for-winter-evictions-ban [accessed 20 April 2021]

Scottish Parliament. (2020, December 3). Official Report Meeting of the Parliament Thursday 3 December.. Retrieved from http://archive2021.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/report.aspx?r=12988&mode=pdf [accessed 21 April 2021]

Scottish Government . (2021, December 3). Christmas eviction ban introduced. Retrieved from https://www.gov.scot/news/christmas-eviction-ban-introduced/ [accessed 20 April 2021]

Scottish Government . (2021, May 14). Glasgow and Moray to remain in Level 3. Retrieved from https://www.gov.scot/news/glasgow-and-moray-to-remain-in-level-3/ [accessed 2021 May 2021]

Scottish Government . (2021). Discretionary Housing Payments in Scotland: 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2021. Retrieved from https://www.gov.scot/publications/discretionary-housing-payments-in-scotland-1-april-2020-to-31-march-2021/ [accessed 26 August 2021]

Scottish Government. (2020, May). Discretionary Housing Payments in Scotland: 1 April 2019 to 31 March 2020. Retrieved from https://www.gov.scot/publications/discretionary-housing-payments-in-scotland-1-april-2019-to-31-march-2020/ [accessed 26 August 2021]

Scottish Fiscal Commission. (2021, January 28). Scotland’s Economic and Fiscal Forecasts January 2021: Social Security Supplementary Tables. . Retrieved from https://www.fiscalcommission.scot/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Scotlands-Economic-and-Fiscal-Forecasts-January-2021-Chapter-5-Social-Security-Supplementary-Tables.xlsx

Scottish Government. (2020, September 1). Supporting tenants . Retrieved from https://www.gov.scot/news/supporting-tenants/ [accessed 1 April 2021]

Scottish Government . (2021, August 16). Information regarding the Tenant Hardship loan fund: FOI release. Retrieved from https://www.gov.scot/publications/foi-202100223752/ [accessed 16 August 2021]

Scottish Parliament . (2021, June 22). Official Report Meeting of the Parliament 22 June 2021. Retrieved from https://archive2021.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/report.aspx?r=13244&mode=pdf [accessed 23 June 2021]

Scottish Parliament COVID-19 Committee. (2021, March 4). Official Report 4 March 2021. Retrieved from http://archive2021.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/report.aspx?r=13174&mode=pdf [accessed 22 April 2021]

BBC. (2021, March 3). Budget 2021: Sunak announces extension to universal credit £20 top up. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-56268229#:~:text=Budget%202021%3A%20Sunak%20announces%20extension%20to%20universal%20credit%20%C2%A320%20top%20up,-3%20March&text=The%20chancellor%20has%20announced%20that,those%20hit%20hardest%20by%20coronavirus. [accessed 8 April 2021]

HM Treasury. (2020, May 22). Help with mortgages to continue for homeowners affected by Coronavirus. Retrieved from https://www.gov.uk/government/news/help-with-mortgages-to-continue-for-homeowners-affected-by-coronavirus [accessed 22 April 2021]

UK Finance. (2021, February 11). Arrears and Possessions Q4 2020. Retrieved from https://www.ukfinance.org.uk/data-and-research/data/mortgages/arrears-and-possessions [accessed 22 April 2021]

UK Finance . (2021). Mortgage lenders support extension to moratorium on possessions until 1 April 2021. Retrieved from https://www.ukfinance.org.uk/press/press-releases/mortgage-lenders-support-extension-to-moratorium-on-possessions-until-1-april-2021 [accessed 8 April 2021]

Scottish Government. (2020, May 5). Aid for private rental landlords. Retrieved from https://www.gov.scot/news/aid-for-private-rental-landlords/ [accessed 1 March 2021]

Scottish Parliament . (2021, March 16). Scottish Parlaiment written question S5W-35725. Retrieved from https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers/question?ref=S5W-35725 [accessed 29 June 2021]

Wilson, W. (2021). Coronavirus: Support for landlords and tenants. Retrieved from https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-8867/ [accessed 29 June 2021]

Scottish Housing News. (202, April 1). SFHA welcomes evictions measures in Coronavirus (Scotland) Bill. Retrieved from https://www.scottishhousingnews.com/article/sfha-welcomes-evictions-measures-in-coronavirus-scotland-bill [accessed 8 April 2021]

Scottish Housing Regulator. (2021, August 9). COVID-19 Quarterly Report - 2021-22 Q1. Retrieved from https://www.housingregulator.gov.scot/media/1688/covid-19-quarterly-report-2021-22-q1.pdf [accessed 9 August 2021]

New support for tenants, not extended eviction notice periods, will help people to keep their homes. (2021, June 23). New support for tenants not extended eviction notice periods will help pay thier rent. Retrieved from https://www.sfha.co.uk/news/news-category/sfha-news/news-article/new-support-for-tenants-not-extended-eviction-notice-periods-will-help-people-to-keep-their-homes [accessed 29 2021]

Glasgow and West of Scotland Forum of Housing Associations. (2021). Notice periods and the evictions ban - a sense of not being trusted?. Retrieved from https://gwsf.org.uk/notice-periods-and-the-evictions-ban-a-sense-of-not-being-trusted/ [accessed 8 April 2021]

Scottish Association of Landlords . (2020). Rent arrears fear for landlords despite pandemic discounts. Retrieved from https://scottishlandlords.com/news-and-campaigns/news/rent-arrears-fear-for-landlords-despite-pandemic-discounts/ [accessed 22 April 2021]

Scottish Government . (2021). Coronavirus Acts: eighth report to Scottish Parliament. Retrieved from https://www.gov.scot/binaries/content/documents/govscot/publications/progress-report/2021/08/coronavirus-acts-eighth-report-scottish-parliament/documents/coronavirus-acts-eighth-report-scottish-parliament/coronavirus-acts-eighth-report-scottish-parliament/govscot%3Adocument/coronavirus-acts-eighth-report-scottish-parliament.pdf [accessed 16 August 2021]

Resolution Foundation. (2020, October). Coping with housing costs six months on . Retrieved from https://www.resolutionfoundation.org/app/uploads/2020/10/Housing-costs-spotlight.pdf [accessed 8 2021]

McCormick, J., & Hay, D. (2020). A stronger Scottish lifeline in the economic storm. Retrieved from https://www.jrf.org.uk/report/stronger-scottish-lifeline-economic-storm [accessed 5 May 2021]

Resolution Foundation . (2021, February). Getting ahead on falling behind . Retrieved from https://www.resolutionfoundation.org/app/uploads/2021/02/Getting-ahead-on-falling-behind.pdf?utm_source=HOC+Library+-+Current+awareness+bulletins&utm_campaign=e128bbda8b-Current_Awareness_Social_Policy_I_16-02-2021&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_f325cdbfdc-e128bbda8b-103780058&mc_cid=e128bbda8b&mc_eid=cd2f1adce4 [accessed 8 April 2021]

Joseph Rowntree Foundation . (2021, May 17). A just recovery for renters. Retrieved from https://www.jrf.org.uk/report/just-recovery-renters [accessed 17 2021]

Scottish Housing News . (2021, June 23). Scottish Government announces £10m grant fund for tenants in arrears due to COVID-19. Retrieved from https://www.scottishhousingnews.com/article/scottish-government-announces-10-million-grant-fund-for-tenants-in-arrears-due-to-covid-19 [accessed 5 July 2021]

House of Commons Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee. (2021, March 22). Protecting the homeless and the private rented sector: MHCLG’s response to Covid-19. Retrieved from https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/5342/documents/53217/default/ [accessed 8 April 2021]

Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government. (2021, May). Government Response to the Housing, Communities and Local Government Select Committee report on protecting the homeless and the private rented sector. Retrieved from https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/6023/documents/68086/default/ [accessed 5 July 2021]

Homeless Action Scotland. (2021, August 23). COVID Evictions in Scotland. Retrieved from https://www.homelessactionscotland.org.uk/covid-evictions-in-scotland/ [accessed 6 September 2021]

Scottish Housing News . (2021). Living Rent ‘strongly supports’ extension of emergency COVID-19 measures. Retrieved from https://www.scottishhousingnews.com/article/living-rent-strongly-supports-extension-of-emergency-covid-19-measures [accessed 22 2021]

Shelter Scotland. (2021). Tell Shona Robinson to extend the eviction ban. Retrieved from https://act.scotland.shelter.org.uk/extend-eviction-ban [accessed 7 September 2021]

Holyrood . (2021). Locked out: tenants In Scotland have faced losing their homes, even during the pandemic. Retrieved from https://www.holyrood.com/inside-politics/view,locked-out-tenants-in-scotland-have-faced-losing-their-homes-even-during-the-pandemic [accessed 9 August 2021]

The Scottish Tribuanls . (2021, March). Annual Report prepared by the President of the Scottish Tribunals 1 April 2019 to 31 March 2020. Retrieved from https://www.judiciary.scot/docs/librariesprovider3/judiciarydocuments/scottish-tribunals-publications/annual-report-19-20.pdf?sfvrsn=8fec267b_4 [accessed 16 August 2021]

Indigo House in association with IBP Strategy and Research. (2020, August). Rent Better Wave 1 Baseline Report . Retrieved from https://rentbetter.indigohousegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2020/11/Wave-1-Baseline-Report-published.pdf [accessed 8 April 2021]

SFHA. (2021, June). SFHA releases new report on evictions and prevention work in housing association sector. Retrieved from https://www.sfha.co.uk/news/news-category/sfha-news/news-article/sfha-releases-new-report-on-evictions-and-prevention-work-in-housing-association-sector [accessed 6 September 2021]

Scottish Housing Regulator . (2021). COVID-19 Quarterly dashboard report 2021-22 - Quarter 1. Retrieved from https://www.housingregulator.gov.scot/landlord-performance/national-reports/covid-19-dashboards/covid-19-quarterly-dashboard-report-2021-22-quarter-1 [accessed 6 September 2021]

Last Updated: 23/4 2:33pm

Image: Temporary changes in response to Covid-19

An error occured while loading, please try again in a few minutes.