Lockdown 3.0 – Eviction Ban Extension

The Housing Minister has announced that the ban on residential evictions which was due to end today (11 January 2021) will now be extended further to 21 February 2021. This means that no eviction hearings will take place during this period.

The Court may still issue possession proceedings, however, immediately upon issue it is likely that the proceedings will be stayed until such time as the ban is lifted. 

Pursuant to Section 21 of the Housing Act landlords are required to provide their tenants with two months’ notice where they are seeking possession of property.

Since its enactment, the Coronavirus Act 2020 has extended this requisite notice to six months. At present Schedule 29 of the act provides that a requisite notice period of six months will remain in force until 31 March 2021.

In the intervening period, notices for possession can still be served subject to Schedule 29.

The above ban now coincides with the ban on commercial evictions which will also come to an end on 31 March 2021.