"Ministers are either unaware of the true state of the courts or are refusing to admit it. Their claims that the courts will be ‘ready’ for the impact of the Renters’ Rights Bill simply do not stack up"
- Ben Beadle - NRLA
The National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) has warned that the Government is ignoring the reality of an overstretched court system and its inability to handle possession cases once Section 21 ‘no-fault’ evictions are abolished.
New figures from the Ministry of Justice reveal that delays are getting worse. In the first quarter of 2025, it took landlords an average of 32.5 weeks, more than seven months, from submitting a possession claim to regaining control of a property. This is up from 29.8 weeks during the same period last year.
Despite repeated assurances from Ministers that the courts will be prepared for changes introduced by the Renters’ Rights Bill, the NRLA argues that these claims lack credibility.
With Section 21 set to be removed, landlords will depend entirely on the court system to process, decide, and enforce possession cases. The NRLA says the courts are not equipped for this responsibility.
At the House of Lords Committee Stage of the Renters’ Rights Bill, Housing Minister Baroness Taylor stated that possession cases take around eight weeks. However, this figure covers only part of the process, the period from filing a claim to obtaining a possession order. It does not reflect the full timeline landlords face, which includes additional delays before properties are actually returned.
Without comprehensive court reform, the NRLA believes confidence among landlords will deteriorate further. This, it argues, could lead to a drop in investment and a reduced supply of rental housing.
An NRLA survey conducted in the autumn of 2024 found that 96% of over 1,400 landlords have little or no confidence in the court’s ability to manage possession cases under the new legal framework.
The organisation is urging the Government to present a clear plan for reform. This should include:
Measurable standards for court preparedness
Targeted funding to speed up case processing
Transparent performance reporting across the court system
“Ministers are either unaware of the true state of the courts or are refusing to admit it. Their claims that the courts will be ‘ready’ for the impact of the Renters’ Rights Bill simply do not stack up," said NRLA chief executive Ben Beadle. “Seven months is an eternity for responsible landlords who may be dealing with serious rent arrears and for neighbours having to endure anti-social behaviour.
He added, “The Government must stop burying its head in the sand and commit to a fully funded, detailed and deliverable plan to ensure the courts are fit for purpose. Without this, landlord confidence will continue to erode, undermining investment in supplying the rental homes that tenants desperately need.”
