A coalition of property sector groups and bailiffs, led by bailiffs’ group the High Court Enforcement Officers Association (HCEOA), and the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA), is advising landlords to consider going straight to the High Court for possession orders, and miss out overloaded and backlogged county courts. Landlords have the option to ‘transfer up’ their case to the High Court, and seek a possession order much quicker that way. And there are serious fears that the court delays will get worse when Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions are banned under the Renters’ Rights Bill.

Michael Jackson, Vice-Chair of the HCEOA, says: “It’s clear that this postcode lottery of delays in county court evictions is proving to be a real nightmare for landlords in some parts of the country. High Court enforcement isn’t a magic wand, and it won’t be the right choice for every landlord right now, but it can certainly help those facing the worst delays in evictions”.