What landlords and tenants in Tamworth need to know

The situation and advice available following the Coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak is continually changing.

At Next Place we are doing all we can to keep landlords and tenants in Tamworth as up to date as possible. And we are here to help you and our community in any way we can. I’ll hopefully be posting some more information on other work we are doing with care working in the community soon.

Hopefully you are aware we are on lockdown (some people I spoke to yesterday were not aware which is really scary) and this has had a massive impact on people being able to go to work, earning money to be able to pay their rent or mortgage.

We are doing all we can to stay on top of the emerging information and guidelines.

The Government has announced a package of measures to protect renters and landlords affected by the outbreak.

A statement from the Housing Minister, Robert Jenrick, said: “This means no renter in either social or private accommodation will be forced out of their home during this challenging time.

“Emergency legislation is being brought forward so that landlords will not be able to start proceedings to evict tenants for at least three months. As a result of these measures, no renters in private or social accommodation needs to be concerned about the threat of eviction.

“Recognising the additional pressures, the virus may put on landlords, we have confirmed that the three-month mortgage payment holiday will be extended to landlords whose tenants are experiencing financial difficulties due to coronavirus.

“This will alleviate the pressure on landlords, who will be concerned about meeting mortgage payments themselves, and will mean no unnecessary stress is put on their tenants as a result.

“At the end of this period, landlords and tenants will be expected to work together to establish an affordable repayment plan, taking into account tenants’ circumstances.”

We have had a number of calls from tenants requesting a payment holiday. I just want to be clear, a landlord can only have a payment holiday from their mortgage if the tenant is in financial difficulty due to the outbreak of coronavirus. Also, the money will still be owed, it has just been deferred. You should continue to pay as much rent as you can.

The links below are resources about funding, universal credit, ESA and emergency funding. If you are a tenant who is struggling, please take a look at these links as you may find some financial help in there.

To ask us any questions, or to simply have a chat and air what’s on your mind, please call us on 01827 50700 – we’re here to help.

And finally, we salute the selfless staff of our NHS, care workers, our emergency services and retail workers and volunteers who are keeping Tamworth running. There are lots of groups now on social media helping in many ways, links are below.

Stay Safe.

These links are accurate as of Wednesday 25 March– 7 am.

The Government’s rental announcement in full.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/complete-ban-on-evictions-and-additional-protection-for-renters

Gas Safety

https://www.gassaferegister.co.uk/help-and-advice/covid-19-advice-and-guidance/

A Good Article on Legal Implications

https://blog.goodlord.co/legal-ramifications-for-lettings-of-coronavirus-qa-with-das-legal

Self-Employment & Universal Credit

https://www.gov.uk/self-employment-and-universal-credit

Employment & Support Allowance

https://www.gov.uk/employment-support-allowance