Delays in possession cases are driving landlord losses beyond £10,000 in several parts of the country, according to new analysis from Legal for Lettings.

London is the hardest hit, with average losses reaching £27,436 per case, driven by typical wait times of up to 12 months. Six other court areas – Croydon, Romford, Uxbridge, Kingston upon Thames, Chelmsford and Watford – are also seeing average losses exceed £10,000, with all located in and around London and the South East.

The data also points to inconsistent delays nationwide. While some areas report average waits of eight months, others are closer to seven, creating uncertainty over both costs and timescales for landlords navigating the system.

Will Eastman, director at Legal for Lettings, said: “While there are some early signs of improvement in parts of the system, the overall picture remains deeply worrying for landlords.

“In many courts, it can still take the best part of a year to regain possession. These delays aren’t just an administrative inconvenience, they represent months of lost income and uncertainty, which the latest figures make very clear.

“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 come into full force. It will be crucial to see how these pressures evolve in the run-up to, and beyond, 1 May, and what further strain this places on the court system.”

The findings are published in the Quarterly Court Watch report, which shares insights and stats from 1,200 possession-related applications each year. The report is designed to give letting agents, landlords and industry stakeholders a clearer picture of how delays in the legal system are translating into real‑world financial impacts.