Landlords in England and Wales are now waiting an average of almost 25 weeks to regain possession of their properties as repossession volumes continue to climb towards pre-pandemic levels.
New analysis from LegalforLandlords shows that while the number of possessions has risen modestly over the past year, the time taken to complete the process has increased sharply.
Across the most recent four quarters of available data, the average number of quarterly possessions stood at 7,099, up 4.4% from 6,799 in the previous four quarters.
However, the average time from submitting a possession claim to repossession being carried out rose by 9.1%, increasing from 24.4 weeks to 26.6 weeks. Delays were recorded at multiple stages, including the time taken to move from claim to order and from claim to warrant.
MOUNTING PRESSURE
On a longer-term view, annual repossession numbers are nearing pre-pandemic levels. In 2019, there were 30,319 landlord repossessions across England and Wales.
This fell sharply to 7,327 in 2020 during court shutdowns, before rising to 27,582 in 2024. Between Q1 and Q3 2025 alone, 21,441 repossessions were recorded.
While still marginally below 2019 levels, the upward trajectory signals mounting pressure within the private rented sector.
The figures come ahead of the planned abolition of Section 21 “no-fault” evictions under the forthcoming Renters’ Rights Act, which will require landlords to rely solely on statutory grounds via the courts.
GROWING CHALLENGES
Sim Sekhon (main picture, inset), Group CEO at LegalforLandlords, says: “These figures underline the growing challenges landlords now face when trying to regain possession of their properties.
“Even before the abolition of Section 21, we’re seeing possession cases take longer at every stage of the process, placing additional financial and emotional strain on landlords who are often dealing with serious rent arrears or serious tenancy breaches.”
WORSE THAN IT LOOKS
And he adds: “The situation is also probably much worse than it appears because, while government data suggests the number of annual landlord possessions sits around 30,000, our own internal data suggests this figure could be at least 40% higher. Many cases, for example, never actually reach court due to paperwork issues.
“As the Renters’ Rights Act comes into force, possession claims are set to become more complex and far more reliant on an already overstretched court system. That makes it more important than ever for landlords to get the process right first time.”
