The Welsh Ministers have announced, following their final scheduled review of the Public Health (Protection from Eviction) (No. 2) (Wales) (Coronavirus) Regulations 2021, that the ban on most evictions in Wales shall cease at the end of 30 June 2021, in line with Reg 3(2). It will thereafter be possible to serve notices of eviction and to execute evictions at dwelling houses in Wales.

The end of the prohibition in Wales comes a month after the eviction ban ceased in England, at the end of May 2021.

The Welsh Government has however also published legislation which extends the period during which longer notice periods shall apply for landlords serving notice on tenants. The Coronavirus Act 2020 (Residential Tenancies: Extension of Period of Protection from Eviction) (No. 2) (Wales) Regulations 2021 come into force on 30 June 2021 and have the effect of extending the relevant period in Schedule 29 of the Coronavirus Act 2020 at paragraph 1(1)(b)(ii) to 30 September 2020. Therefore 6-month notice periods are required for almost all notices that are served until the end of September.

The requirement for 6 months’ notice is extended for all section 21 notices (Housing Act 1988, as amended). The 6-month period also applies to almost all section 8 notices, save for those seeking possession on Grounds 14 (none), 14A (two weeks) and 7A (4 weeks/1 month, depending on if periodic/fixed term respectively).

The practical impact is that whilst landlords may now carry out evictions in Wales from July onwards, the time it will take to reach the stage where they hold a writ/warrant of possession has been extended. Most landlords must wait half a year after serving a notice before they are entitled to bring proceedings for possession.