Landlords are waiting an average of more than eight months for county courts to process and enforce possession cases, according to the latest Ministry of Justice statistics, prompting warnings that the system may not cope with the demands of the Renters Rights Act.
Possession claims down but delays grow
Data for the final quarter of 2025 shows new possession claims by landlords fell 11 percent to 21,458 compared with the same period in 2024. Orders dropped 8 percent to 16,913, and warrants decreased by 12 percent to 9,606. However, despite fewer cases entering the system, processing times have continued to lengthen. The figures reveal that cases are now taking over eight months on average from claim to enforcement – a delay that landlords say is unsustainable ahead of the new regulatory regime. The data also shows that 38 percent of all landlord possession claims were from social landlords, compared with 32 percent from private landlords and 30 percent through the accelerated procedure. This marks a shift from the pre-Covid era, when around 60 percent of claims came from social landlords.
NRLA warns system cannot cope
Bailiff repossessions by social landlords rose 10 percent year-on-year, from 1,767 to 1,946 in the quarter. Overall repossessions, including private landlords, increased 3 percent from 7,062 to 7,254. Ben Beadle, chief executive of the National Residential Landlords Association, said: “It is entirely unacceptable that fewer possession cases are taking longer for the courts to process and enforce.” Beadle added: “If the backlog is increasing now, before the government’s reforms begin to bite in May, there is no hope that the system will be able to cope with what is to come.” The Ministry of Justice said it was unclear whether the falls in new claims reflected seasonal variation or a “change in behaviour” ahead of the Renters Rights Act taking effect on 1 May. Accelerated claims – the closest proxy for Section 21 evictions – fell 17 percent in the quarter. Accelerated possession is only available where a valid Section 21 notice has been served, meaning this route will no longer be available after the Act comes into force. The figures add to concerns raised by industry bodies and legal professionals about whether the court system is adequately resourced to handle the transition to Section 8-only possession, which involves a more complex and contested legal process. The Law Society has previously called for urgent investment in court capacity before the deadline.
Editor’s view
Fewer claims, longer waits, same broken system. With Section 21 ending in May, the courts face a stress test they are clearly not ready for. Landlords who cannot recover possession risk being stuck with non-paying tenants indefinitely.
Author: Editorial Team – UK landlord & buy-to-let news, policy, and finance
Published: 27 February 2026
Sources: Ministry of Justice, NRLA
Related reading: Eviction court wait times: 16 weeks in London, 6 in Blackpool
