"This is exactly what we said would happen. As Section 21 is phased out, landlords are acting now while they still have certainty, because many are not confident in what replaces it."
- Paul Shamplina - Landlord Action
Landlord activity accelerated sharply in March as the implementation of the Renters' Rights Act draws closer, with new figures from Landlord Action pointing to a record rise in both enquiries and landlord possession instructions.
Instructions rose 60% compared with March last year, while enquiries climbed 75%, marking the most pronounced monthly spike in the firm's history. The scale of the increase reflects what many had predicted as reforms approached.
Facing reduced flexibility and the prospect of more complex possession routes, landlords are acting while existing options remain available. Some are serving notice earlier than they otherwise would, with the 1 May deadline bringing forward decisions that are affecting tenants through no fault of their own.
The March surge is not an isolated event. Possession instructions for the first quarter are up 32% year-on-year, with enquiries rising 23%, pointing to a shift in landlord behaviour that has been building since January.
What stands out is that instructions are growing faster than enquiries. Landlords are no longer just exploring their options; they are making firm decisions and acting more quickly where many had previously held back.
The figures also underline how heavily the sector still relies on Section 21 and the scale of the challenge ahead.
Over the past year, Section 21 has consistently accounted for the majority of Landlord Action's possession cases each month, and that dominance intensified in March, when Section 21 was used at almost three times the rate of Section 8. Section 21 instructions rose 43% year-on-year across Q1.
This represents a substantial volume of cases that, once Section 21 is removed, will be forced through the Section 8 route and into the courts, many of which would not previously have required court involvement.
The current spike reflects landlords acting ahead of reform, but the underlying trend points to sustained pressure on the system. Even if only a proportion of these cases move to Section 8 claims, it will place considerable additional strain on a court system that is already stretched.
What is currently a largely administrative process will become a court-driven one, bringing longer timelines, greater complexity, and increased uncertainty for both landlords and tenants.
"This is exactly what we said would happen," said Paul Shamplina, founder of Landlord Action (pictured). "As Section 21 is phased out, landlords are acting now while they still have certainty, because many are not confident in what replaces it."
"From the conversations I have been having with landlords across the country, there is still a great deal of confusion about how possession will work in practice, alongside growing concern about compliance, court delays, rent arrears and rising mortgage costs," he added. "That combination is pushing landlords into making decisions earlier than they otherwise would."
"Some landlords are choosing to exit the sector altogether, while others are regaining possession now rather than risk being unable to do so later," Shamplina continued. "While possession activity will inevitably slow once these changes come into force, much of the damage will already have been done. Good landlords leaving the market and tenants losing homes in circumstances where, previously, no action would have been taken."
