Extension of the ban in England on repossessions will do nothing to help landlords and tenants hit financially by the Coronavirus pandemic, the National Residential Landlords Association has said.

Current restricting repossessions have now been extended until 31 May, after which they will begin to be eased, the Government has announced.

‘We welcome clarification that emergency measures in the rental market will be phased out in tandem with the overall roadmap out of lockdown restrictions’, said NRLA chief executive Ben Beadle.

However, given cross-sector consensus for the need to address the rent debt crisis, the announcement suggests the Government are unwilling to listen to the voices of those most affected, he said.

‘If the Chancellor wants to avoid causing a homelessness crisis, he must develop an urgent financial package including interest free, government guaranteed loans to help tenants in arrears to pay off rent debts built since March 2020.  This is vital for those who do not qualify for benefit support.

‘Without this, more tenants face losing their homes, and many will carry damaged credit scores, making it more difficult to rent in the future and causing huge pressure on local authorities when they can least manage it’.

The extension means that, except in a few cases, until 31 May landlords will continue to need to give tenants six months’ notice before they can repossess properties. Also the ban on using bailiffs will until 31 May.