Mon 10
What happens with arrears owing from the previous moratorium period?
In March 2021, the Government put in place the following measures to assist COVID-19 impacted tenants who accrued rent arrears between 15 April 2020 and 26 March 2021 (the previous moratorium period):
- Landlords are only be able to evict for these arrears if they have first attempted in good faith to negotiate a repayment plan. It also has to be fair and reasonable to evict.
- The tenant cannot be evicted unless they have failed to meet the agreed payment on two consecutive occasions.
- Tenants and landlords will continue to be able to apply to NCAT to terminate tenancy agreements on the basis of hardship.
- Existing agreements about the waiver or deferral of rent payment are not affected.
- Landlords can’t evict using the ‘no grounds’ eviction process, unless it is fair and reasonable to do so.
- Tenants are permanently protected from being listed on tenancy databases.
These measures end on 26 September 2021.
Under the 60 day freeze on evictions, if a tenant is currently COVID-19 impacted, the landlord is unable to take action to terminate the tenancy for arrears accrued during the previous moratorium period until after 11 September 2021.