Notice periods return to pre-COVID lengths from 1 October

The government has confirmed that notice periods for evictions in England will return to normal on October 1st, as planned, but has warned that they could be curtailed again if the pandemic were to worsen once more.

This means landlords giving notice of their intention to evict via either a Section 21 or Section 8 notice will need to give two months’ notice, down from six months prior to October 1st.

It has now been 18 months since the government introduced emergency measures as part of the Coronavirus Act 2020 that protect renters by requiring landlords to provide longer notice periods when seeking possession of residential property in the social and private rental sectors.

These were modified several times during the long months of the pandemic depending on the reasons for the eviction.

A statement from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government says: “While these measures were appropriate at the height of the pandemic, these restrictions could only ever be temporary. Returning notice periods to their pre-COVID lengths from 1 October will allow landlords to repossess their property where necessary.