The Bill will abolish fixed-term tenancies, so that tenants may remain at the property until they serve not less than 2 months’ notice, or until the landlord ends the tenancy in one of the limited ways permitted by the Bill.

The Bill provides for various grounds - some mandatory, others discretionary - upon which a landlord can obtain possession of the property. If a landlord establishes that a mandatory ground exists, the Court must grant possession and end the tenancy. If the ground is discretionary, the Court may grant possession if it considers it is reasonable to do so.

In every case the landlord must provide evidence to the Court that the selected ground is satisfied. The notice periods vary for each ground ranging from 2 weeks to 4 months.

If the tenant does not vacate the property after being served with a notice of possession, the Court will fix a hearing before it grants a possession order. The landlord will need to prove that they satisfy the ground for possession set out in the notice. This will be a longer and more costly process than the current regime which allows the Court to make a possession order without a hearing.