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The Coronavirus Act 2020 (‘the 2020 Act’) includes a range of powers for the Welsh Ministers to both respond to and manage the transmission of the virus. In relation to housing law, section 81 and Schedule 29 to the 2020 Act delays when a landlord is able to evict a tenant by temporarily increasing the period of notice that must be given before a possession claim is made to the court.


The Schedule applies to all landlords who have granted tenancies under the Rent Act 1977 and the Housing Acts 1985, 1988 and 1996\.  Three months’ notice is required for notices served in respect of protected and statutory tenancies, secure tenancies, introductory tenancies and demoted tenancies. The Coronavirus Act 2020 (Assured Tenancies and Assured Shorthold Tenancies) (Amendment) (Wales) Regulations 2020, which came into force on 24 July 2020, amended Schedule 29 so that six months’ notice is required in relation to assured and assured shorthold tenancies (except for notices specifying Grounds 7A and 14 relating to antisocial behaviour, which remained at three months).


Schedule 29 applies to notices served during the relevant period, which was due to end on 30 September. The relevant period may be extended by the Welsh Ministers beyond 30 September 2020 using the power set out in paragraph 1(2\) of Schedule 29\.


Paragraph 13(1\) of Schedule 29 to the 2020 Act gives the Welsh Ministers (as the “relevant national authority”) the power to amend Schedule 29 to alter a reference to three months into a reference to six months, or a reference to any other specified period which is less than six months.


Section 88 of the 2020 Act provides a power to ‘national authorities’ to suspend and revive provisions within the Coronavirus Act. Section 88(9\) provides that the Welsh Ministers are a relevant national authority in relation to a provision if it extends to England and Wales and applies in relation to Wales and the provision would otherwise fall within the legislative competence of the Senedd.


During the debate on the Legislative Consent Motion for the 2020 Act, which was held on 24 March 2020, the Minister for Health and Social Services gave a commitment to provide a public statement on each use of the powers under the Act.  I can now confirm that, as Minister for Housing and Local Government, I have made Regulations under section 88(1\) and paragraphs 1(2\) and 13(1\) of Schedule 29 to the 2020 Act. The Regulations extend until 31 March 2021 the relevant period to which the provisions of Schedule 29 will apply. Furthermore, the Regulations increase from three months to six months, the period of notice that must be served in respect of protected and statutory tenancies, secure tenancies, and introductory tenancies and demoted tenancies, thus bringing them into line with the period required in relation to assured and assured shorthold tenancies. In respect of all tenancies however, for notices given in relation to antisocial behaviour and domestic violence, the requirements will revert to those that applied prior to the Coronavirus Act 2020\.


The purpose of these alterations is to ensure that during the on\-going public emergency, landlords continue to give increased notice to tenants facing eviction from rented properties before landlords can issue proceedings for possession. The effect will to be to delay evictions meaning that: fewer people will face eviction into homelessness at a time when local authorities are less able to respond to these situations; those renting their homes will benefit from increased security and reduced anxiety; and individuals at risk of eviction will be provided with increased time to seek support to resolve any problems.


The alteration to notice periods contained in the Regulations will apply to notices served on or after the date the Regulations come into force – namely 29 September 2020\.  The convention that not less than 21 days should elapse between the laying of the Regulations and their coming into force has not been followed in this case. This reflects the urgent need to provide greater security of tenure at this time, thus contributing to the measures already in place in response to the virus.


I will review again in December 2020 the provisions of Schedule 29 to the 2020 Act.  The purpose of that review will be to consider whether those provisions remain necessary and appropriately drafted in the light of the pandemic and its effects as they appear at that time


A copy of the Regulations and the accompanying Explanatory Memorandum can be viewed here and here


 







Translation:


 
Mae Deddf y Coronafeirws 2020 ('Deddf 2020') yn cynnwys ystod o bwerau i Weinidogion Cymru ymateb i ledaeniad y feirws, a'i reoli. Mewn perthynas â chyfraith tai, mae adran 81 ac Atodlen 29 i Ddeddf 2020 yn oedi pryd mae landlord yn cael troi tenant allan drwy gynyddu’r cyfnod rhybudd y mae’n rhaid ei roi dros dro cyn gallu cyflwyno hawliad meddiant gerbron y llys.


Mae’r Atodlen yn berthnasol i bob landlord sydd wedi rhoi tenantiaeth o dan Ddeddf Rhenti 1977 a Deddfau Tai 1985, 1988 ac 1996\.  O ran rhybuddion a gyflwynir mewn cysylltiad â thenantiaethau gwarchodedig a statudol, tenantiaethau diogel, tenantiaethau rhagarweiniol a thenantiaethau isradd, rhaid i'r cyfnod rhybudd fod yn dri mis. Roedd Rheoliadau Deddf y Coronafeirws 2020 (Tenantiaethau Sicr a Thenantiaethau Byrddaliadol Sicr) (Diwygio) (Cymru) 2020, a ddaeth i rym ar 24 Gorffennaf, yn diwygio Atodlen 26 er mwyn mynnu ei bod yn rhaid rhoi chwe mis o rybudd mewn perthynas â thenantiaethau sicr a byrddaliadol sicr (ac eithrio ar gyfer rhybuddion sy’n nodi Seiliau 7A ac 14 sy’n ymwneud ag ymddygiad gwrthgymdeithasol, a oedd yn aros yn dri mis).


 


Mae Atodlen 29 yn berthnasol i rybuddion a gyflwynir yn ystod y cyfnod perthnasol, sy’n dod i ben ar 30 Medi. Caiff Gweinidogion Cymru ymestyn y cyfnod perthnasol y tu hwnt i 30 Medi 2020, gan ddefnyddio'r pŵer a nodir ym mharagraff 1(2\) Atodlen 29\.


  

Mae paragraff 13(1\) Atodlen 29 i Ddeddf 2020 yn rhoi pŵer i Weinidogion Cymru (fel yr “awdurdod cenedlaethol perthnasol”) i ddiwygio Atodlen 29 i newid cyfeiriad at dri mis yn gyfeiriad at chwe mis, neu’n gyfeiriad at unrhyw gyfnod penodol arall sy’n llai na chwe mis.


 


Mae adran 88 o Ddeddf 2020 yn darparu pŵer i ‘awdurdodau cenedlaethol’ atal dros dro ac adfer darpariaethau Ddeddf y Coronafeirws. Mae adran 88(9\) yn darparu bod Gweinidogion Cymru’n awdurdod cenedlaethol perthnasol mewn perthynas â darpariaeth os yw’n rhychwantu Cymru a Lloegr ac os yw’n gymwys o ran Cymru, ac y byddai’r ddarpariaeth fel arall o fewn cymhwysedd deddfwriaethol y Senedd.


Yn ystod y ddadl ar y Cynnig Cydsyniad Deddfwriaethol ar gyfer Deddf 2020, a gynhaliwyd ar 24 Mawrth 2020, roedd y Gweinidog Iechyd a Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol wedi ymrwymo i ddarparu datganiad cyhoeddus ar bob defnydd o'r pwerau o dan y Ddeddf.  Gallaf gadarnhau’n awr fy mod, fel y Gweinidog Tai a Llywodraeth Leol, wedi gwneud Rheoliadau o dan adran 88(1\) a pharagraffau 1(2\) ac 13(1\) o Atodlen 29 i Ddeddf 2020\. Mae'r Rheoliadau’n ymestyn y cyfnod perthnasol y bydd darpariaethau Atodlen 29 yn berthnasol iddo tan 31 Mawrth 2021\. Ar ben hynny, mae'r Rheoliadau’n ymestyn y cyfnod rhybudd y mae’n rhaid ei roi ar gyfer rhybuddion a roddir mewn perthynas â thenantiaethau gwarchodedig a statudol, tenantiaethau diogel a thenantiaethau rhagarweiniol a thenantiaethau isradd o dri mis i chwe mis. Mae hyn yn golygu bod y tenantiaethau hynny’n cyd\-fynd â’r cyfnod rhybudd y mae’n rhaid ei roi mewn perthynas â thenantiaethau sicr a thenantiaethau byrddaliadol sicr. Mewn perthynas â phob tenantiaeth fodd bynnag, ar gyfer rhybuddion a roddir oherwydd ymddygiad gwrthgymdeithasol a thrais domestig, bydd y gofynion yn dychwelyd i’r rheini a oedd yn berthnasol cyn Deddf y Coronafeirws 2020\.


Diben y newidiadau hyn yw sicrhau yn ystod yr argyfwng cyhoeddus parhaus bod landlordiaid yn parhau i roi rhagor o rybudd i denantiaid sydd mewn perygl o gael eu troi allan o eiddo rhent cyn i landlordiaid allu cychwyn achos adennill meddiant. Yr effaith fydd oedi cyn troi tenantiaid allan sy’n golygu: bydd llai o bobl yn wynebu cael eu troi allan i fod yn ddigartref a hithau’n gyfnod pan fydd awdurdodau lleol yn llai tebygol o allu ymateb i’r sefyllfaoedd hyn; bydd y rheini sy'n rhentu eu cartrefi’n elwa ar fwy o ddiogelwch a llai o bryder; a bydd unigolion sydd mewn perygl o gael eu troi allan yn cael mwy o amser i ofyn am gymorth i ddatrys unrhyw broblemau.


Bydd y newid i’r cyfnodau rhybudd sydd yn y Rheoliadau’n berthnasol i rybuddion a gyflwynir ar y dyddiad y daw'r Rheoliadau i rym – sef 29 Medi 2020 – neu ar ôl hynny.  Yn yr achos hwn ni ddilynwyd y confensiwn na ddylai Rheoliadau ddod i rym am o leiaf 21 diwrnod ar ôl eu gosod. Mae hyn yn adlewyrchu’r angen brys i ddarparu gwell sicrwydd deiliadaeth yn ystod y cyfnod hwn, gan gyfrannu at y mesurau sydd eisoes ar waith i ymateb i’r feirws.


Byddaf yn adolygu darpariaethau Atodlen 29 i Ddeddf 2020 eto ym mis Rhagfyr 2020\.  Diben yr adolygiad hwnnw fydd ystyried a yw’r darpariaethau hynny’n dal yn angenrheidiol ac a ydynt wedi’u drafftio’n briodol yng ngoleuni’r pandemig a’i effeithiau fel y byddant yn ymddangos bryd hynny.


Gellir gweld copi o'r Rheoliadau a'r Memorandwm Esboniadol sy'n cyd\-fynd â nhw yma ac yma