The UK Government is under growing pressure to tackle severe County Court delays that are leaving landlords out of pocket and worsening the housing shortage. According to new research by the High Court Enforcement Officers Association (HCEOA), some London landlords are waiting over a year for bailiff appointments — losing nearly £19,000 in unpaid rent per property.
Eviction delays hitting landlords and housing supply
The report, Possessions – Transferring Up, published by the HCEOA in partnership with the NRLA, Propertymark, and Landlord Action, found that enforcement bottlenecks are costing landlords thousands and blocking new tenancies from entering the market.
Average County Court bailiff delays now stand at eight months in London, with landlords across England and Wales reporting substantial financial losses. Nationally, the average rent loss per affected property is £12,708, rising to £19,223 in London.
Alan J Smith, Chair of the HCEOA, said the system was “threatening to derail the rental sector and hamper economic growth.” He warned that new court guidance — limiting bailiffs’ use of reasonable force in evictions — risks further paralysis.
“Months of needless enforcement delays, coupled with unclear policies, are costing landlords and housing providers tens of thousands,” Smith said.
The delays affect not only private landlords but also local authorities and housing associations, which are forced to waste resources chasing court dates, leaving much-needed homes unavailable for new tenants.
Calls to expand High Court enforcement
The HCEOA says “transferring up” eviction cases to the High Court could cut waiting times from eight months to as little as four weeks, reducing landlord losses by £12,000 per property in the capital. High Court Enforcement Officers (HCEOs) can arrange evictions more quickly under the same legal protections as County Court bailiffs.
However, only 30% of transfer requests in London are being approved by District Judges, despite worsening backlogs. The association is calling for two immediate reforms that would cost the government nothing to implement:
- Require judges to approve transfers where local bailiff delays exceed three months or where reasonable force may be necessary.
- Simplify the transfer process to make it easier for landlords and compatible with future digital court systems.
Mike Jackson, Vice-Chair of the HCEOA, said: “These changes can be delivered today at no cost to government. They would save landlords thousands, prevent further market exits, and help maintain housing supply.”
Industry groups back reform push
Leading landlord and property bodies are united in demanding urgent reform. Ben Beadle, Chief Executive of the NRLA, said court wait times had reached “record levels,” preventing landlords from dealing with serious rent arrears and anti-social tenants.
“By adopting the HCEOA’s recommendations, government can stop landlords facing even more disruption when dealing with the courts,” Beadle said.
Timothy Douglas, Head of Policy and Campaigns at Propertymark, added that the current system “takes too long, is too expensive, and delays access to justice.” He said enabling more High Court enforcement would be “a timely and inexpensive resolution for landlords, tenants, and agents alike.”
Paul Shamplina, founder of Landlord Action, highlighted the human impact: “One landlord who applied for a bailiff back in February is still waiting. He urgently needs possession of his only property so he can move in himself. Tenants are also trapped — unable to afford local rents and forced to wait months for rehousing.”
Shamplina said the system is “broken” and that expanding High Court use isn’t about giving landlords special treatment but ensuring “the system works fairly and efficiently for everyone.”
Editor’s view
Eviction delays are no longer just a legal frustration — they’re a structural threat to rental supply. The HCEOA’s proposals make sense: faster, fairer enforcement with full tenant protection. The real question is whether government has the appetite to fix a broken system before more landlords walk away.
Author: Editorial team — UK landlord & buy-to-let news, policy, and finance.
Published: 7 October 2025
Sources: High Court Enforcement Officers Association (HCEOA) report Possessions – Transferring Up; NRLA; Propertymark; Landlord Action.
Related reading: End of Section 21 to Shift Focus from Possession to Recovery
