Thousands of renters could be evicted in June. Will the government protect them? | David Renton

The coronavirus-related freeze on evictions is ending – and the new ‘pre-action protocol’ relies on the kindness of landlords

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When the lockdown ends what will happen to tenants? Almost nine million households, more than a third of all families in Britain, rent from a private landlord, a council or a housing association.

Because of coronavirus, many are now in financial need. Nearly two million claims for universal credit have been made since lockdown measures were announced in the UK. Welfare claimants are entitled to payments equivalent to housing benefit. But, as a result of changes made to benefits over the last decade (like the bedroom tax and restrictions to local housing allowance), it is increasingly rare for housing benefit to pay all of a tenant’s rent.

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Homes for anglers - in pictures

From a grand hall to an old toll cottage, these properties are perfect for buyers who love fishing

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We need a coronavirus mortgage strategy as well as an exit one

From payment holiday extensions to a better welfare net, here are a few ideas for government

Currently 1.6 million homeowners are not paying their mortgages after taking a “payment holiday” at the start of the coronavirus crisis. But the three-month break from payments – typically worth £755 a month – will come to an end much sooner than this crisis. What next?

Boris Johnson will set out Britain’s lockdown exit strategy this weekend. We’re told its sunbathing and picnics straightaway, maybe schools and cafes opening by the end of June, and pubs and restaurants by the end of August – so long as social distancing is maintained. Try choreographing that in a Friday night bar.

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Homebuyers 'plotting move to country' amid increased home working

Estate agents report rise in buyer registrations around Winchester and Berkshire

After the lockdown, the exodus. Estate agents are reporting a surge in the numbers of would-be homebuyers plotting a move out of the city to a rural area or smaller town as people conclude that home working is here to stay.

Firms said that during the last few weeks they had seen a big increase in enquiries about well-connected countryside and “out of city” locations – ranging from English market towns to Scottish fishing villages – where people could split their working week between home and office once life starts to return to normal.

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Five top tips for choosing your conveyancer Nottingham Estate Agents

For those who plan to buy or sell a property in the next year, there are some things you can do now to help your property transaction go more smoothly. If you really want to hit the ground running, having already appointed your conveyancer will mean you’ll be ready to go as soon as you’ve […]

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I made millions out of the last debt crisis. Now the wealthy stand to win again | Gary Stevenson

We urgently need a fairer tax system so that rich people like me help solve the fallout from coronavirus, not just profit from it

• Gary Stevenson is an economist and former interest rate trader

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I made my first million the year Greece went under. I was 24 years old at the time.

I’d attended a presentation given by one of Citibank’s senior economists, in which he explained that government debts of the world’s major economies had grown to dangerous levels, and were continuing to grow. He warned that markets could stop lending to some of these governments, forcing a devastating round of austerity on to already battered economies.

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How can I find a new place to live with social distancing in place

My partner has moved out but my landlord insists I keep on paying the full rent although during lockdown I can’t move

I shared a flat and rental payments with my partner until March when the relationship ended and he moved out. The fully paid-up tenancy lasts until mid June and the notice period is two months, so if I don’t want it to roll over, I need to give notice now. Due to social distancing rules, I don’t know if I’ll be able to move house in June, but equally I can’t afford to keep on paying the rent by myself. I have offered the landlord a reduced monthly rate between June and August, after which I will move out if lockdown is lifted. The landlord, a multi-national corporation, is adamant that I must pay the full market rate if I stay, even though they are unlikely to find a new tenant during the pandemic. I’m faced with the prospect of having to move out while being uncertain as to how I’m going to view, sign up to and move into somewhere new with the social distancing regulations in place.

MD, London

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