Two weeks left to refer Covid rent arrears to arbitration

The Commercial Rent (Coronavirus) Act 2022 (the “Act”) came into force on 24 March 2022. It introduced an arbitration scheme to resolve disputes between landlords and tenants concerning Covid-related rent arrears.

Technically, there is a 6 month window under the Act in which rent arrears can be referred to arbitration. This period expires on 23 September 2022. However, there is a requirement to give the other party notice of one's intention to make a referral. Therefore, the deadline for commencing the process is in fact 26 August 2022. 

The deadline of 26 August 2022 is not immediately obvious from a quick reading of the Act. As such, the Government have now published the above poster to try and raise awareness of it.

If you have any questions in relation to the Act, or are thinking about referring a rent arrears dispute to the arbitration scheme, please do get in touch and we would be happy to assist.