NEW eviction orders for tenants are “highly unlikely” during the Covid-19 crisis after a ruling body was suspended.
All hearings and case management meetings of Scotland’s specialist housing tribunal have been called off until May 28 at the earliest.
The body deals with disputes about housing matters, including evictions, and bosses admit the restart date is “merely a date set to comply with legislation”, with cases unlikely to restart on that date.
The Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service says it is “highly unlikely that any new orders to evict will be made” during the shut-down.
However, decisions can be made without hearings in “exceptional circumstances”. The Living Rent tenants’ union said the tribunal suspension is not enough to safeguard those in rented properties during the pandemic.
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Boris Johnson has pledged to bring forward legislation to protect private renters in England from losing their homes during the crisis.
Yesterday Nicola Sturgeon said “no one should face eviction because of rent arrears accrued as a result of the coronavirus” and the Scottish Government “will continue to look at the action we can take”.
Around 9000 people had signed a Living Rent petition calling for a payment holiday and a Government-ordered pause on evictions in Scotland.
The union’s Gordon Maloney told The National “soft measures” like the tribunal suspension would not help those at risk of homelessness.
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He said: “When people are served an eviction notice, only a small number of people go to the tribunal. Almost no evictions are contested – there’s been one successful case, ever. Not everyone knows their rights.
“The UK Government is doing more to help than the Scottish Government, which is not a position I ever thought we would be in.”
Housing Minister Kevin Stewart said the Scottish Government is undertaking “urgent consideration on what wider measures can be put in place to support people”.
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