Resolver’s campaign for a halt to evictions and repossessions until 2021 gathers pace

Resolver in the News

More MPs have joined Resolver’s call for a ban on evictions and repossessions until 2021 as the UK braces for a perfect storm of job losses, financial difficulties and the end of Covid-19 support schemes.

For the last few weeks, Resolver has been campaigning for the ban extension through our website and in the media as the deadline neared. After an in-depth look at the problem for the Observer we’ve been raising awareness of the risks and impact for huge numbers of people struggling financially.

Resolver’s campaign to ban evictions and repossessions until 2021

We launched our campaign last week with a blog from Alex Neill, Resolver CEO. At the same time, Resolver created a guide on evictions, repossessions and your rights so people concerned about losing their homes could find all the information they needed in one place.

Our regular column for the Mirror on Saturday exclusively focused on this issue. Following this feature, former Shadow Chancellor, John McDonnell, called for an even longer extension to the ban in Sunday’s Mirror.

Now, more MPs are coming forward to call for an extension to the ban and to address the wider issues of homelessness and support for people struggling financially.

More about the eviction ban

The current ban on evictions in England and Wales is due to expire on 23 August 2020. Yet, with around 4.5 million private renters in the UK and millions of people potentially facing redundancy, huge numbers of people could find themselves struggling to pay their rent.

In addition, with businesses now obliged to contribute to the furlough scheme and the end of many mortgage and loan or credit holiday periods (taken by 2.7 million people according to free debt charity StepChange) the current economic position of countless people in the UK is looking increasingly grim.

This in turn is likely to have a negative impact on struggling buy-to-let landlords where tenants have not been able to or have refused to pay rent. Though the repossession ban runs till 31 October 2020, the wide-ranging effects of householders struggling to make ends meet is likely to have a much longer tail.

Resolver is calling for:

• A free national landlord / tenant dispute resolution service;
• An extension on the ban on evictions / support for buy-to-let landlords into the new year; and
• A continued nationwide discussion about the cost and impact of poverty in the wake of Covid-19.

Resolver CEO Alex Neill says: “There are no easy solutions for the challenges millions of people will face in the coming months. That’s why we believe it’s vital that practical solutions are put in place, otherwise far too many households will struggle to keep a roof over their heads.

“Extending the ban on evictions and continuing the support for landlords will provide short term relief for those struggling. In the longer term the process for resolving these, often very stressful, disputes need to be made quicker, easier and cheaper for all parties with the introduction of a free, national landlord and tenant dispute resolution service.

“If we fail to take decisive action on this issue now, the cost to society in the long run is potentially much, much higher.”