The British Independent Retailers Association has expressed delight that the Government has extended protection to retail tenants against ‘aggressive’ eviction until March.
The decision follows pressure from Bira and the Independent Retail Consortium on the Government to offer extra protection for retailers following the challenges of covid-19 in 2020.
Last week, Bira was part of a virtual meeting with Minister Paul Scully, where the issue of the rent moratorium was raised.
The moratorium was originally extended until the September 30, 2020, then it was given a further extension until the end of 2020. Evictions will now be banned until March 31, 2021.
Andrew Goodacre, Bira’s CEO, said: “Bira is delighted by the decision to extend the rent moratorium. We have been asking for this because of the challenges faced by independent retailers on the high street. We hope this leads to constructive discussions between tenants and landlords to find a positive solution when the moratorium ends in March 2021.”
