Lewisham Council is suspending rent arrears evictions for council tenants and asking housing associations to do the same.  

It will also ask private landlords to halt rent evictions.  

It comes as the Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak announced a three-month holiday from mortage payments for those in financial difficulty but provided little support for renters. 

Lewisham’s cabinet member for housing Councillor Paul Bell asked that residents email him the details of any eviction cases related to rent arrears.  

He said: “Lewisham Council will ask housing associations to suspend arrears evictions.  

“I’ve made the same request to Lewisham Homes.  

“We will also ask private landlords to halt rent evictions too.  

“If anyone knows of eviction cases related to rent arrears in Lewisham, email me.” 

Millions of people across the UK may be unable to pay their rent amid the Covid-19 outbreak.  

In a joint statement on March 18, the Residential Landlords Association and the National Landlords Association called on a “package of measures” from the Government, including scrapping the five-week wait for universal credit.  

They said: “We are encouraging all landlords to work positively with tenants to provide support where needed throughout this difficult period.  

“Landlords should be as flexible as they can to help tenants facing payment difficulties resulting from the impact of the coronavirus. 

“To support landlords in this we are calling for a package of measures from Government and mortgage providers.  

“This includes a temporary scrapping of the five week wait before universal credit claimants get their first payment, pausing the final phase of restricting mortgage interest relief to the basic rate of income tax and ensuring lenders look sympathetically on requests by landlords for mortgage payment holidays where their income is being affected through reduced or non-payment of rent.”