Specialist firm Landlord Action says county court delays for landlords and tenant eviction agents in London are becoming “significantly” longer.
The comments come as new official figures reveal that the median time it takes to evict a tenant in England and Wales is now 24.5 weeks, nearly six months, compared to 23 weeks last year. . 
Landlord Action says landlords who obtain eviction warrants now will have a deadline of mid-2025 to evict due to problems sourcing bailiffs at one of their processing hubs, Stratford Housing Centre. That's what it means.
The center handles evictions from eight different county courts, from Barnet to Willesden Green.
These problems stem from a severe shortage of bailiffs in county courts, placing additional financial pressure on landlords already facing tenant delinquency.
In the serious Barnett case, a landlord was trying to execute a warrant but no bailiff could be found to attend, further delaying an already long court process.
I had a hard time
“Fortunately in some cases the tenant has voluntarily left by then, but not in all cases. We have had difficulty getting updates from Barnet's courts,” Landlord Action said. says Paul Shamplina, founder of .
“When our case staff make a call, they do not go directly to the court itself, but are routed through a central answering center. “We believe that if we leave this issue unattended, we will be making calls across Barnet and across London. We believe this is likely to have an impact on landowners.
“It is clear that county courts are facing a serious bailiff recruitment crisis, with only around 300 county court bailiffs across England and Wales.
unacceptable
“This shortfall undermines landlords’ confidence in the legal system’s ability to assist them in recovering possession.”
In a recent case in Clerkenwell County Court, Landlord Action applied for an eviction order in July 2023, only to be told an eviction date was expected by January 2025. “These waiting periods are completely unacceptable.”
To alleviate these delays, Landlord Action advises landlords to consider enforcement by the High Court (HC) as an alternative. However, Mr Champlina warned that this option would come with additional fees and that a county court judge could deny the HC enforcement request unless the landlord tries it first. Enforcement by County Court (CC).
“HC enforcement may lead to faster seizures, but it is not guaranteed,” Champlina added.
I'm worried
Lucy Tiller, Policy and Communications Manager at RRC, said: The previous administration promised to abolish Section 21 evictions in 2019, but five years later, as Christmas approaches, thousands of renters are still being evicted from their homes in no-fault evictions. is shocking.
“While we welcome the eventual repeal of section 21 evictions in the upcoming Tenant Bill of Rights, we cannot stop no-fault evictions if a landlord wants to sell or move into the property. Being forced to leave your home through no fault of your own is a devastating and costly experience that leaves many renters in poverty and homelessness.”
