Retailers and business owners affected by the pandemic will be protected from eviction for a further 3 months.
The government has announced it is extending its eviction ban until the end of March 2021. The ban had been due to expire at the end of the year.
This “final extension” will give landlords and tenants 3 months to come to an agreement on unpaid rent, the government said.
Alongside this, Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick has also announced a review of the ‘outdated’ commercial landlord and tenant legislation, to address concerns that the current framework does not reflect the current economic conditions.
In response, the British Retail Consortium said the move has come “in the nick of time”.
Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium, said: “With footfall down and many stores completely shut in November, many are counting on December sales to claw back some of the lost turnover from this year.
“This extension will give hard pressed retailers breathing space to trade their way out of rent arrears that may have built up during lockdown. We hope that landlords and tenants will use this time to jointly agree new rent terms and payment plans to deal with any outstanding arrears.”
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