Landlords warned evictions could take longer
While landlords have had to cope with the evictions ban since the pandemic lockdown began, one specialist firm says the time to evict a tenant could increase by six months.
The warning from Court Enforcement Services is for landlords to appreciate that getting an order for eviction could be extended as the courts try to tackle the backlog of claims.
The firm's chairman, Daren Simcox, says that landlords should have the option of paying for a High Court officer to carry out the eviction, rather than waiting for cases to be transferred to the High Court.
Mr Simcox explained that county courts are granting leave to enforce orders for possession under the current ban's extensions.
Chronic shortage in the county courts of bailiffs
However, he adds that there is a chronic shortage in the county courts of bailiffs and there is a huge backlog of cases that has built-up during the pandemic.
Landlords are also being warned by Paul Shamplina, the founder of Landlord Action, that when the eviction ban ends on May 31, there will be an 'evictions avalanche'.
He says this is likely to overwhelm the legal system.
Mr Shamplina said: "Without government support when this package of measures ends for helping tenants with accumulated rent arrears, I fear there could be an eviction avalanche."
He added: "There are thousands of landlords with court orders outstanding from a year ago and warrants are due to expire which means having to reapply to the courts.
"We don't know if those landlords will be at the back, or the front of the queue."
Clear exit strategy when the latest eviction ban ends
The National Residential Landlords' Association is calling for a clear exit strategy from the Government for when the latest eviction ban ends.
A similar call has been made by an all-party committee of MPs who say the government should not have a 'last-minute panic' over evictions.
The NRLA's chief executive, Ben Beadle, said: "The plan needs to tackle those rent debts that have built up during the pandemic.
"We support the committee's call for Government action for tenants so they can repay their rent arrears as a top priority."
'Landlords are struggling'
The managing director of Accommodation for Students, Simon Thompson, said: "Lots of landlords are struggling during the pandemic and many of them have been helping their tenants.
"However, we have been highlighting that there is a growing issue with rent arrears and landlords will still need to access the courts to have an eviction order granted."
He added: "The Government must consider quickly how these rent arrears will be dealt with and we have called for financial support for tenants and landlords to resolve those arrears."
