The government has set out confirmation of the new regulations and protocols that agents and landlords will have to follow if they wish to restart or request a possession hearing and evict a tenant.

This came over the weekend in the form of guidance notes from the Master of the Rolls, Sir Terence Etherton. The guidance applies to England and Wales only.

“This guidance is to help private landlords to understand their rights and responsibilities when they need to take possession of their property through the county court by explaining how the possession action process works” says an introduction to the guidelines. 

“It will assist tenants who have been served with a notice requiring or seeking possession and provides detailed information about each stage of the possession action process where the landlord makes a possession claim to the county court” it continues.

The guides also contain advice to help tenants and private landlords – and their agent representatives – to resolve common disputes in tenancies, such as rent arrears and anti-social behaviour, without the matter needing to go to court.

Each of these guides includes advice on the new arrangements in the county court that will be introduced once possession cases resume today. 

These new arrangements assist agents, landlords and tenants whose circumstances have been adversely affected by the coronavirus pandemic and help to manage the flow of new and outstanding cases in the courts.

The guide for private landlords and their agents can be found here …

… and the guide for private tenants is here.