As of 4 May 2021, the Debt Respite Scheme (Breathing Space) allows people in England and Wales with unsustainable debts to arrange to enter a ‘breathing space’. Once someone enters a breathing space, their creditors (for our industry, this means landlords and their lettings agents) are not allowed to contact them directly to request payment of the debt, charge interest, fees or penalty charges for that debt or take enforcement action to recover the debt (including by taking possession of a property) while the breathing space is ongoing. This is designed to provide people in debt with enough time to find a solution for their financial problems. Formal government guidance can be read here direct from the government’s website.
