Government boosts court capacity as Renters’ Rights Act drives court demand

The government has announced 1,000 new judges and tribunal members are being recruited to cope with increased demand following the Renters’ Rights Act.

In a letter to the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA), Courts Minister Sarah Sackman KC confirmed that the recruitment drive, alongside the courts’ digitisation process, would allow possession claims to be dealt with “swiftly and effectively”.

However, the NRLA warns that the “proof will be in the pudding” when it comes to court capacity.

Proof will be in the pudding

The latest figures from the Ministry of Justice reveal that landlords issued 23,635 possession claims between April and June 2026, 6% more than the 22,352 claims issued during the same quarter in 2025.

Within that total, accelerated possession claims increased by 16% to 8,569.

Under the Renters’ Rights Act, Section 21 has been abolished, meaning landlords must now rely on one of 37 revised grounds for possession. If tenants then fail to leave the property within the notice period, or challenge the grounds for possession, the case will have to go through the courts.

NRLA chief executive Ben Beadle welcomed the government’s move to boost court capacity but warned that the “proof will be in the pudding” when it comes to whether the courts can cope with increased demand.

He said on the NRLA website: “While we are pleased the Minister is taking our concerns seriously and bolstering capacity in the courts and tribunals service, the proof will be in the pudding.

“Increasing the number of judges and tribunal members is a good start, but what is important to us is that landlords have confidence they can take back possession of their properties in a straightforward and timely manner where they have legitimate reason to do so, something that will depend entirely on how the process works in practice”.

Prevent tribunal becoming overwhelmed

Mr Beadle added: “We also need to know what is happening when it comes to the new body charged with dealing with challenges to proposed rent increases.

“With increasing numbers of tenants expected to do this under the new rules, we need a clear plan in place from the government to prevent the tribunal becoming overwhelmed.

“There also needs to be a clear mechanism by which it can monitor how well the courts are coping with the increased demand.

“We will continue to work closely with the courts and tribunals service to monitor the impact of the act, specifically with regards to wait times, and will remain in close dialogue with ministers and senior civil servants as the digital services are developed.”

In the letter, Ms Sackman confirmed that the court digitisation process would offer an online route for “making and responding to possession claims”, allowing landlords to file documents and receive updates and outcomes virtually.

The new system will replace the existing process, under which courts must process and issue claims using physical documents, increasing the risk of lost paperwork and delays. Ms Sackman said the new service would reduce the chance of mistakes being made.

She said the first stage of the changes will be rolled out by the end of the year, with the full digital rollout still on track for next year.