Coronavirus: updated guidance for landlords and tenants
The government has published updated guidance for landlords and
tenants in both the private and social housing sectors setting
out their responsibilities and rights during the coronavirus
outbreak.
Guidance for landlords and tenants
The guidance for landlords and renters in private and social
housing published by the Ministry of Housing, Communities &
Local Government (MHCLG) on 28 March builds on the previous
announcement of the suspension of eviction and possession
proceedings and explains:
- Measures relating to service of notices seeking possession as
amended by the Coronavirus Act 2020;
- Court action on possession cases during
the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak; and
- Property access and health and safety obligations in the
context of coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions - including guidance
on gas and electrical safety inspections.
Many councils have been concerned about
ensuring that annual gas safety checks are carried out during the
crisis and equally some tenants have understandably been reluctant
to allow gas safety engineers into their homes to carry out those
safety checks - particularly if they are self-isolating and/or have
members of the household who have underlying health conditions and
have been recommended to stay in doors for the next 12 weeks.
Paragraph 3.9 of the guidance makes it clear
that landlords should continue to make every effort to abide by
existing gas safety regulations and electrical safety regulations
which come into force on 1 July but points out that there are
provisions in both regulations to account for situations in which a
landlord cannot do this but that landlords must be able to
demonstrate that they have taken all reasonable steps to comply
with the regulations.
The full Guidance is available for download on the
Government website.
The document also includes guidance to
advise local authorities in England how to effectively enforce
standards in private rented properties (including housing
associations), meet their legal duties and support landlords and
tenants during the unprecedented challenges posed by the COVID-19
outbreak.
Building Safety guidance
MHCLG have also updated and published the latest Building Safety guidance, in
light of the coronavirus outbreak, including revised guidance from
the National Fire Chief's Council on waking watches for high rise
buildings with unsafe cladding within the context of the
coronavirus pandemic, full details of which are also available on
the government website.
ARCH is in regular contact with MHCLG officials during the
coronavirus crisis and if any ARCH member council feels there are
any key issues not covered by this latest guidance and/or has any
queries regarding the detail of this latest guidance please let
ARCH know by contacting John Bibby at john.bibby@arch-housing.org.uk.