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The National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) is once again calling for more to be done to address the growing backlog of possession cases clogging up the courts, with some landlords waiting more than six months to take back their properties.
The NRLA has called on Justice Ministers to take action to speed up the possession process as a matter of urgency.
The government has promised reform following the end of Section 21 repossessions as outlined in the Renters (Reform) Bill. However the association is concerned that no firm commitments have been made as to how this will be acheived.
The association’s concerns are shared by the Levelling Up, Housing & Communities (LUHC) Select Committee, which has warned: “It is not clear whether the government fully appreciates the extent to which an unreformed courts system could undermine its tenancy reforms.”
Ahead of the Second Reading of the Bill, the NRLA is calling for assurances that ministers will make an announcement – and has asked specific questions about the digitalisation of the court process and plans to increase the number of court staff dealing with possession cases, as well as calling on the Ministry to publish its test regarding the impact the Bill will have on the courts system.
Landlords also want to know what commitments are going to be made regarding the length of time it will take possession cases to be processed in the courts under the new system, and how progress will be measured.
Ben Beadle, NRLA chief executive, said: “Court wait times are a major issue for landlords who need to repossess property from anti-social tenants or those who are in extreme rent arrears.
“Before the second reading of the Renters (Reform) Bill, the government must take positive steps towards resolving the courts logjam so that legitimate cases can be heard as swiftly as possible.
“Failing to do so will only jeopardise the implementation of the rental reforms and may well exacerbate an already serious crisis of supply of rented housing.”
Landlords ‘are at the end of their tether’ as court backlogs continue to spiral
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