The news was welcomed by the National Residential Landlords Association, who said that it provided greater certainty for the rental market following what would be a five-month suspension.
Ben Beadle, chief executive of the NRLA, had this to say: “The minister’s comments provide greater certainty for the rental market.”
"The minister confirmed that under plans to end Section 21 repossessions as part of the Renters’ Reform Bill, ministers want to ensure that “landlords are able to swiftly and smoothly regain their property through the courts where they have a legitimate reason to do so."
This means that landlords can, among other issues, take action against renters committing domestic abuse or making the lives of fellow tenants or neighbours a misery.
He adds: “We continue to work hard with landlords and tenants to sustain tenancies wherever possible. In the vast majority of cases this is happening.
“It is vital however that swift action can be taken against those tenants committing anti-social behaviour or domestic violence.
“We are calling also for priority to be given to cases where possession orders were granted prior to lockdown or where rent arrears have nothing to do with the Covid pandemic.”
David Cox, chief executive, ARLA Propertymark, commented: “We’re very pleased to hear that from 24 August courts will be re-opening and can begin to process the backlog of possession cases.
“We have previously expressed our concern to the Secretary of State for Justice that there could be as many as 62,000 ‘business as usual’ landlord possession claims to be processed across England and Wales so having clarity on when these can be handled is extremely encouraging for landlords and the sector.”
