The government has confirmed changes to the student possession ground following campaigning by the National Residential Landlords Association.
Guidance published by the government will prevent disruption in the student housing market when the Renters' Rights Act is implemented from 1 May. The Act introduces a new ground for possession, allowing landlords renting to students to ensure properties are available to let to new students from one academic year to the next.
Under the ground, landlords must provide tenants with four months' notice before it can be enforced in the courts. With the Act commencing in May, however, there was a real risk that thousands of student properties would not be vacant in time for new arrivals in September.
Following campaigning by the NRLA, the new government guidance confirms that for student tenancies for houses in multiple occupation agreed before 1 May, landlords will have until 31 May to formally notify students that they may use the ground for possession. The formal notice to repossess a property can then be issued to student tenants any time between 1 May and 31 July, and for this year only, the minimum notice period is two months rather than four.
"It is positive that the Government has taken on board our pragmatic concerns about the workability of a key aspect of the Act," said Ben Beadle, chief executive of the National Residential Landlords Association.
"There was a very real prospect that tens of thousands of students could have been denied access to the housing they need from September as landlords would have been unable to regain possession of properties in time. The guidance issued today provides welcome clarity that will avoid such chaos."
