The Government’s plans to scrap Section 21 notices have come under scrutiny after its own data shows it is taking longer for landlords to repossess properties through the courts.
Figures from the Ministry of Justice show it took 17.3 weeks on average for a claim to result in a repossession – based on the Government’s preferred median measure – in the first quarter of 2019.
This is one week longer than at the end of 2018.
The mean average time fell from 22.8 weeks to 21.6 weeks.
Landlord possession claim rates were highest in London, with nine of the ten highest rates occurring in the capital. Ealing had the highest rate at 288 per 100,000 households.
David Smith, policy director for the RLA said this data showed the courts were unable to manage repossession claims.
He said: “The courts are simply unable to cope when landlords seek to repossess property for legitimate reasons.
“The processes must first be fixed to ensure landlords are not unduly frustrated when wanting to reclaim their property in the face of tenants failing to pay their rents or committing anti-social behaviour.
“Before seeking to scrap Section 21 repossessions ministers urgently need to give confidence to landlords and tenants that the courts will first be substantially improved to speed up access to justice. That means establishing a full and proper housing court.”
Comments (4)
Well, I’d’ve thought that was blatantly flippin’ obvious, that they needed to make sure that there was an adequate substitute before scrapping S21!
What was I thinking, politicians using logic and common sense…
Conservative government. What a joke.
Mind you Sadiq Khan will distort and destroy the London rental market before his term is up. That’s his main goal. Rent controls etc.
Well done Labour.
I have zero faith in the government providing anything which would be fair to landlords.
Far from timescales improving they will increase as more and more landlords sell.
The courts and bailiffs will not cope.
The sector as been unfairly taxed to the extreme and battered black and blue.
The government is a total disgrace. Remember the consultation on S24 this will be no different.
Quite right, Kittygirl. The Government has zero interest in assuring fairness for landlords. They are wrecking the sector with their pointless pursuit of tenant votes – which on the whole they won’t get. At the same time, landlords now have an alternative to vote for, which we previously didn’t have – the Brexit Party – and I predict they will get a huge number of landlord votes.