RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE FOR PRIVATE CLIENTS

Today sees changes to the Covid restrictions on bailiff-enforced evictions and notice periods for residential tenants.

With lockdown restrictions easing, the ban on bailiff-enforced evictions has been lifted from today. However 14 days‘ notice is still required before an eviction can take place. Bailiffs have been asked not to evict anyone who is self-isolating or has Covid symptoms.

The 6 month notice period to end residential tenancies introduced last summer has today been reduced to 4 months, except in certain circumstances, such as anti-social behaviour when it will be shorter. This should help those landlords who have been unable to sell due to their property being tenanted as well as those having to contend with rent arrears and breaches of tenancy.

Subject to public health advice and progress with the government’s roadmap, notice periods are expected to revert to pre-pandemic levels (i.e. 2 months) from 1 October 2021.

The UK government announced their plans for the next Parliamentary session in the Queen’s Speech on 11 May.
These include four key property issues:

1. Confirmation of leasehold reform via The Leasehold Reform (Ground Rent) Bill which will put an end to ground rents in new residential long leases in England.

2. Intention to establish a new regulator for building safety together with reforms to the building safety regime.

3. Announcement of a new Planning Bill which aims to simplify and speed up the planning process.

4. Plans to publish a Renters Reform White Paper this autumn for reform in the private rented sector with legislation to follow in due course.

We are delighted to have received once again recognition of our quality of service and performance after being named by eprivateclient as one of the 2021 Top Residential Property Buyers.

Eprivateclient is the leading website and news service for private client practitioners. Their rankings follow a detailed analysis of the leading residential property buying firms in the UK. These rankings are not based on size alone but on reputation, quality of service, how the firm has fared in the past 12 months and how it is viewed by other bodies and publications as well as the extent of the UK offering.

We are very proud to have been accorded this accolade for the sixth time now.