The National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) is once again calling for more to be done to address the growing backlog of possession cases clogging up the courts, with some landlords waiting more than six months to take back their properties.
The NRLA has called on Justice Ministers to take action to speed up the possession process as a matter of urgency.
The government has promised reform following the end of Section 21 repossessions as outlined in the Renters (Reform) Bill. However the association is concerned that no firm commitments have been made as to how this will be acheived.
The association’s concerns are shared by the Levelling Up, Housing & Communities (LUHC) Select Committee, which has warned: “It is not clear whether the government fully appreciates the extent to which an unreformed courts system could undermine its tenancy reforms.”
Ahead of the Second Reading of the Bill, the NRLA is calling for assurances that ministers will make an announcement – and has asked specific questions about the digitalisation of the court process and plans to increase the number of court staff dealing with possession cases, as well as calling on the Ministry to publish its test regarding the impact the Bill will have on the courts system.
Landlords also want to know what commitments are going to be made regarding the length of time it will take possession cases to be processed in the courts under the new system, and how progress will be measured.
Ben Beadle, NRLA chief executive, said: “Court wait times are a major issue for landlords who need to repossess property from anti-social tenants or those who are in extreme rent arrears.
“Before the second reading of the Renters (Reform) Bill, the government must take positive steps towards resolving the courts logjam so that legitimate cases can be heard as swiftly as possible.
“Failing to do so will only jeopardise the implementation of the rental reforms and may well exacerbate an already serious crisis of supply of rented housing.”
Landlords ‘are at the end of their tether’ as court backlogs continue to spiral
6 months not bad for a 14 day accelerated possession process! I know for a fact that possession applications are on the increase and court admin is getting slower and county court bailiffs are taking months to execute warrants for possession orders. Some landlords are now resorting to the more expensive High Court Sherriff’s warrants.
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Six months, oh that it were only 6 months waiting time – 9 months and still waiting…………. the whole thing is a joke. Yes I get the right for a tenant who pays the rent and looks after the place having the right to a stable home but why would I want rid of such a tenant in the first place? What about the rights of landlords when they don’t. There seems to be no recognition of the problems such tenants cause landlords, or any redress for landlords when they stop paying rent. I still have bills to pay even if he refuses to pay rent. My tenant has not paid rent for11 months. I applied for possession 9 months ago and I still have no date for a court hearing and no warrant…………… My tenant cheerfully tells me he has absolutely no intention of paying rent – why should he when the system lets him not pay it with no consequences to him…….. his words not mine. And if and when I do finally get possession and he moves on I have no doubt he will do it all again to someone else. He passed referencing, he has a good job and could easily afford to pay his rent, he is just playing a system that lets him do it and seems hell bent on making it easier than ever for him to keep on doing so. And they wonder why small landlords are selling up and getting out.
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