There are major concerns that when the eviction ban is lifted this month (August 24th) there is going to be a considerable increase in re-possession cases.

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However a trade body has dispelled the claims made by Generation Rent in July that thousands of tenants will be evicted during the pandemic, as many landlords are helping their tenants through these uncertain times.

The government banning of evictions was to help tenants during the pandemic that had either been furloughed or lost their job.

The trade body criticises Generation Rent’s ‘assumptions’ as being wrong and unfounded scare mongering.

A new survey shows that 95% of tenants are paying their rent or agreed with their landlord on a lower rent or deferred payment until the pandemic is over.

The trade body also carried out an independent poll with tenants that found 87% had been paying their rent on time throughout Covid-19; a further 8% said they had agreed a reduced rent or a rent free period with their landlord or letting agent.

The research also found that around 3% of renters were building up arrears and are not willing to repay them or unable to afford being able to pay their landlords back.

A spokesperson for the trade body, said: “Consistent with our previous surveys, this latest data demonstrates that the vast majority of landlords and tenants are working together to sustain tenancies, and critically that the overwhelming majority of tenants are paying rent as normal.

“Eviction is not, and need not be, an inevitable outcome where tenants have struggled to pay their rent due to COVID-19. Those who argue otherwise are stoking needless anxiety for tenants.”

Another survey states that 55% of landlords who had agreed rent deferrals with at least one of their tenants will use their savings to cover their own losses.

The trade body is now urging the government to guarantee hardship loans for tenants who are in arrears because of Covid-19.

With the furlough scheme being wound down the trade body says that these types of loans should be given to eligible tenants and must be interest free and used only for rent payments.

The spokesperson added: “When the courts do start to hear cases again, it is essential that they deal swiftly with the most serious cases, including those where tenants are committing anti-social behaviour or where there are long-standing rent arrears that have nothing to do with the pandemic.

“To offer security to tenants and landlords badly hit during the lockdown we are calling on the government to introduce a tenant loan scheme to help pay off arrears built due to the coronavirus.”

Richard Merrick of PIMS, said: “This is only what Wales has just introduced and can it be guaranteed that the loans will actually end up in landlords’ bank accounts?

“If some tenants are being feckless with their money and failing to pay their landlords, what are the chances of the loans being put to their proper use?”