It now takes private landlords an average of 22.5 weeks from making a claim to the courts for a property to be repossessed to it actually happening.
This is according to the new statistics in the Ministry of Justice’s Mortgage and Landlord Possession Statistics for Q2 of 2019, which was released yesterday.
The figure is up from the 21.6 weeks it was taking for such cases to be completed at the beginning of the year.
Other main points highlighted by the publication include:
- Mortgage possession actions have increased
- Mortgage orders, warrant and repossessions have also increased
- Mortgage median average time from claim to repossession has decreased to 39.4 weeks, from 46.6 weeks last year
- Landlord possession actions have decreased
- The median time it takes for landlord possession actions to be completed has remained broadly stable
- Mortgage possession claims and repossession rates remain at low levels
- Landlord possession claims and repossessions are highest in London
The publication provides mortgage and landlord possession statistics in January to March 2019, compared to the same quarter the previous year.
Responding to this, John Stewart, Policy Manager for the Residential Landlords Association said: “Today’s figures show that the courts are unable to cope when landlords seek to repossess properties for legitimate reasons.
“With proposals to scrap Section 21 repossessions set to lead to a significant increase in cases brought to the courts, it is now a matter of urgency that the Government brings forward its plans for court reform. This requires a fully funded, properly staffed, dedicated housing court that can bring rapid justice for landlords and tenants. Tinkering with the existing system will not be good enough.”
The full Mortgage and Landlord Possession Statistics in England and Wales, January to March 2019 are available to view here on the GOV.UK website.