Government Pledges Court Reforms to Support Landlords

A Government minister has pledged to reform the court system to speed up landlords’ abilities to repossess their properties in legitimate circumstances.

Writing exclusively for the Residential Landlords Association (RLA), the Minister for Housing and Homelessness, Heather Wheeler MP, says that “landlords who experience the eviction process via the courts” often find it “unduly slow and complex”. 

She pledges: “Changes in the law, the court process and resourcing will need to go hand in glove with tenancy reform, to meet these concerns.”

Wheeler acknowledges that “the vast majority of landlords provide their tenants with a decent home and good quality service” and that “few landlords evict good tenants without a sound reason”.

The Minister confirms that, following the Government’s decision to abolish Section 21, the Government will ensure that the changes work for both good landlords and tenants. She says that she is looking forward to working closely with the RLA, to make sure that the Government’s changes to the sector are put in place properly.

The RLA is currently surveying the landlord community to seek its views on what is required for them to have confidence that they can repossess their properties swiftly and effectively for legitimate reasons.

David Smith, the Policy Director for the RLA, says: “The Minister’s comments are welcome. As the RLA has long argued, landlords are left frustrated at almost every stage where they want to repossess property through the courts. This makes it harder to address the problem of bad tenants, including those committing anti-social behaviour, who cause misery for their neighbours.”

We are pleased to hear confirmation from the Government on ensuring that the new system works for landlords, as well as tenants. We will continue to keep you informed on all updates to the proposed ban on Section 21 notices in the private rental sector.