Responding to the announcement that protection from Statutory Demands leading to Winding Up Petitions is to be extended to March 2022 for commercial rent arrears, Helen Dickinson, Chief Executive of the British Retail Consortium said:

“This extension gives businesses some welcome short term certainty.

However, the Government have still not banned landlords from using County Court Judgements to chase tenants for rent – leaving a big loophole in the protections. While the vast majority of retailers and landlords have agreed rent payment plans, a small minority of landlords are undermining the spirit and intention of the protections and exploiting the County Court Judgement loophole. This must be closed off as a matter of urgency.”