Council Confirms Tennants Safe From Eviction
Finance officials relaxing rules to help those struggling during coronavirus outbreak
Council tenants in Wandsworth will not be evicted if they can’t pay rent during the coronavirus outbreak, it was announced today.
Finance officials at the council reassured residents it will be relaxing its normal rules to help those who may be struggling to pay bills due to job and income losses as a result of the outbreak.
No council tenants in Wandsworth will face eviction proceedings due to rent arrears and there will be no enforcement action against people who fall behind with their council tax payments.
Wandsworth Council leader, Ravi Govindia, said: “We understand that significant numbers of people face reductions in their wages and income and in some cases the loss of their jobs altogether.
“At this difficult time we want to do all we can to help those of our residents who are facing money problems, which is why we won’t evict you if you fall behind with paying your council rent and we won’t take enforcement action if you are temporarily unable to pay your council tax.
“This easing of the rules will continue until the coronavirus crisis has come to an end. Once that happens we will work sympathetically with our residents and tenants to help them get their rent and council tax accounts back on track.”
However the council added it “strongly encourages” people to continue paying these bills if they are able to do so to avoid building up debt problems in the future.
A statement released by the council said: “The council relies on this income to help fund the vital frontline services that local people rely on, especially the support provided for the borough’s most vulnerable residents.”
As of 9am on March 18, 2020, there were 59 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Wandsworth.
Sian Bayley - Local Democracy Reporter
March 19, 2020