Government Confirms Notice Periods to Return to Pre Pandemic Rates

Harry Charles can confirm that the government announced today that notice periods in England will return to normal levels from 1 October 202. Notice periods have been four months in all but the most serious cases since June 2021. In August, the notice period for cases where there are less than four months of unpaid rent was reduced to two months.

However, the government "intends to retain the power to implement any similar measures again in the future should the public health situation worsen. To this end, legislation has been tabled that retains the ability for the UK Government to reapply longer notice periods until 25 March 2022 as a backstop." according to Propertymark. 

The government confirmed that the guidance would be updated ahead of 1 October 2021 to reflect that notice periods will be reverting to their pre-pandemic levels. Which is:
1 month notice for Tenants and 2 months notice for Landlords. 

A statement from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government obtained by Letting Agent Today says that, "while these measures were appropriate at the height of the pandemic, these restrictions could only ever be temporary. Returning notice periods to their pre-Covid lengths from 1 October will allow landlords to repossess their property where necessary."