"Even before the abolition of Section 21, we're seeing possession cases take longer at every stage of the process, placing additional financial and emotional strain on landlords who are often dealing with serious rent arrears or serious tenancy breaches"
- Sim Sekhon - LegalforLandlords
Landlords in England and Wales are waiting significantly longer to regain possession of their properties, with the average timeline increasing by more than 9% over the past year to almost 25 weeks. The delay comes alongside a continued rise in repossession volumes and ahead of major legislative change in the private rented sector.
LegalforLandlords analysed the latest landlord possession data to assess how both the number of repossessions and the length of the possession process are changing, from the point a possession claim is submitted through to repossession being carried out.
Possession timelines continue to lengthen
Comparing the most recent four quarters of available data with the previous four quarters, the analysis shows that while possession volumes have risen modestly, the time taken to complete the process has increased sharply.
The average number of quarterly possessions stood at 7,099 over the past four quarters, compared to 6,799 during the previous four quarters, marking an annual increase of 4.4%.
Over the same period, the average time to progress from submitting a possession claim to completing a repossession rose by 9.1%, from 24.4 weeks to 26.6 weeks.
This increase includes a 0.4% extension to the amount of time taken to progress from claim to the issuing of an order, and a 2.9% increase in the time between claim and a warrant being issued.
Annual repossessions nearing pre-pandemic levels
The total number of annual repossessions is climbing back to pre-pandemic levels. In 2019, there were 30,319 landlord repossessions across England and Wales. This figure fell dramatically to 7,327 in 2020 as court activity was curtailed during the pandemic.
Repossessions have increased year on year since then, reaching 27,582 in 2024, the latest full year of data available. Some 21,441 took place between Q1 and Q3 of 2025 alone, based on the latest available data.
While still slightly below pre-pandemic levels, the upward trend highlights growing pressure within the sector.
Why landlords issue possession claims
Landlords typically seek a possession order as a last resort. Common reasons include serious or persistent rent arrears, antisocial behaviour, breaches of tenancy terms, or the landlord needing to sell or move back into the property. While most tenancies end without court involvement, the possession process remains a critical safeguard for landlords when agreements break down.
Section 21 and the Renters' Rights Act
The latest data comes as the government prepares to abolish Section 21 "no-fault" evictions under the forthcoming Renters' Rights Act. Once implemented, landlords will no longer be able to regain possession without providing a statutory reason, placing greater reliance on the courts and Section 8 grounds.
LegalforLandlords expects this shift to increase both the complexity of possession claims and the pressure on an already stretched court system, making current delays particularly concerning.
"These figures underline the growing challenges landlords now face when trying to regain possession of their properties," said Sim Sekhon, group CEO at LegalforLandlords. "Even before the abolition of Section 21, we're seeing possession cases take longer at every stage of the process, placing additional financial and emotional strain on landlords who are often dealing with serious rent arrears or serious tenancy breaches."
"The situation is also probably much worse than it appears because, while government data suggests the number of annual landlord possessions sits around 30,000, our own internal data suggests this figure could be at least 40% higher. In many cases, for example, never actually reach court due to paperwork issues."
He added that as the Renters' Rights Act comes into force, possession claims are set to become more complex and far more reliant on an already overstretched court system.
"That makes it more important than ever for landlords to get the process right first time. At Legal For Landlords, we support landlords throughout the possession journey, helping them navigate changing legislation, build robust cases and minimise delays at a time when the margin for error is shrinking."
