Possession cases are taking longer and costing more to resolve for landlords, according to new industry research.
Legal for Lettings’ quarterly court watch found the median lost rent per possession case has reached £7,725 with the highest loss in the quarter being £27,436.
During the first quarter, 23 courts showed an increase in the average delay to handle possession cases.
Notably, Peterborough recorded an additional three month increase in average delays, reaching an average of seven months.
Derby, Medway, Norwich and Chelmsford also all recorded increases in delays.
These findings tally with Propertymark’s own research, which found the average time for a possession claim has risen to over 68 weeks.
In 2019, this was just over 20 weeks.
Here, Propertymark pointed to a court system under strain with administrative backlogs, adjournments and delays in bailiff enforcement.
“These delays aren’t just an administrative inconvenience — they represent months of lost income and uncertainty, which the latest figures make very clear,” said Will Eastman, director at Legal for Lettings.
“Landlords are still facing long waits and mounting arrears before they can resolve even straightforward cases — and this is before the Renters’ Rights Act has even come into force.
“It will be crucial to see how these pressures evolve in the run-up to, and beyond, 1st May, and what further strain this places on the court system.
As such, Propertymark is calling for “urgent reform”.
This would include greater resourcing for the court system, digitisation of possession claims, introduction of a Specialist Housing Tribunal and an automatic right to transfer cases to High Court Enforcement Officers.
“Propertymark has backed proposals to allow cases to move more quickly to High Court enforcement, reducing delays once possession has been granted,” commented Propertymark.
“We have also raised these concerns at the highest levels, including in the House of Lords, where our calls for court reform have been recognised as a priority issue for the sector.”
