The time taken for landlords to evict tenants has increased, latest Government figures show.

Data from the Ministry of Justice reveals that landlords waited 24.5 weeks from claim to repossession during the period between the beginning of July and the end of September, up from 23 weeks during the same period last year.

These median waiting times will heap pressure on the new Labour Government to better fund the courts system, where most of the delays landlords encounter occur when evicting a tenant.

As LandlordZONE has reported many times in recent years, the other reason is that many bailiffs have been unable to complete evictions due to a shortage of personal protection equipment, leading to even longer court backlogs.

The courts have also faced an increase in the number of landlords using them to evict tenants – although Government officials say number of cases are now back up to their 2019, pre-pandemic levels.

Increases

The figures reveal that when compared to the same quarter in 2023 there were increases in landlord possession claims from 24,922 to 25,418 (2%), orders from 17,987 to 19,254 (+7%), warrants from 10,044 to 11,763 (+17%) and repossessions from 6,167 to 6,942 (+13%).

Claims are the first step in beginning the eviction process, while orders are when a judge give the go-ahead for an eviction while warrants are the legal document issued to bailiffs giving them the authority to carry them out.

Paul Shamplina, (pictured) founder of Landlord Action, says: "The abolition of Section 21, which currently allows landlords to repossess properties without specific grounds, is expected to increase pressures on the already overburdened court system.

Shamplina is urging landlords to act quickly while Section 21 remains available, and to consult closely with letting agents to ensure compliance and proper legal representation.

“These delays are only likely to worsen, particularly once grounds for possession become more restricted,” he adds.

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