Welsh govt extends rent moratorium

By Lisa Riley

Published: 10 March, 2021

The Welsh government has extended the rent moratorium, which was due to end at the end of this month, by three months.

The extension, announced by Ken Skates, minister for economy, transport and north Wales, means Welsh hospitality businesses will be protected from landlord eviction actions until the end of June.

The decision to extend the moratorium was a “positive and pragmatic move” by the Welsh government, said David Chapman, executive director, UK Hospitality Cymru.

“Many valuable hospitality businesses across Wales have piled up huge levels of rent debt over the past year, which will be a barrier to viability as they look to reopen.

“Rent debt levels have spiralled to unmanageable levels for too many businesses through no fault of their own. Businesses have been forcibly closed or operating under the most severe restrictions for a year. All the while, they have had to continue to meet costs and rent has remained a very significant one,” he said.

Although some landlords had been “helpful and engaged” with tenants, the crisis had escalated for many businesses,” he added.

“The spectre of rent debt continues to loom over the sector even as we begin to prepare for our reopening. The extension to the moratorium will give us valuable breathing space, but we will still need a permanent solution to the problem.”

The UK government is expected to announce a similar extension to the rent moratorium in England this week.

At the beginning of this month, the Welsh government unveiled a £30m support package for hospitality, leisure and tourism businesses affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.