County courts in England are in desperate need of a cash injection to cope with demand, including the thousands of possession claims from landlords it deals with each year, claims the NRLA.
The NRLA has highlighted problems within the existing court system in response to a government consultation on the issue.
The consultation was launched as part of an inquiry in response to long-standing concerns over court capacity and resources, with landlords waiting around 29 weeks from making a claim to a bailiff attending the property.
Landlords typically only use the county court service where they need to regain possession of a property, with around 36,000 possession orders issued in 2022 because of accelerated or private landlord possession claims.
While Section 21 notices are often described as ‘no fault’ evictions, the attractive part for landlords is that they can regain possession with certainty where the tenant has done something wrong.
With Section 21 going away, it is essential landlords can regain possession where needed.
If not, then letting a property becomes a significantly riskier investment. Part of that will be making sure the courts are properly funded and reformed to ensure cases are heard quickly.
In its submission to the government the NRLA has argued a properly resourced court system is essential to ensuring landlords have the confidence to remain in business and continue to invest in providing good quality homes to let.
