Government pledges bailiff reforms as court delays persist

The government has claimed that most possession cases do not require bailiff enforcement, saying it is working to improve the efficiency of the system.

In a written parliamentary answer, Labour’s Lord Lemos said HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) is exploring measures to improve bailiff recruitment and retention

The news comes as the court backlog shows no signs of slowing down.

Tenants vacate the property at various stages

In a written parliamentary question, Conservative peer Lord Banner asked: “What assessment the government have made of the adequacy of the current timescales for private rental sector landlords to obtain and enforce possession orders where justified; and what steps they are making to speed up the process.”

In response, Lord Lemos said: “In 2025, the median average wait between claim and repossession by County Court bailiffs was 27 weeks and approximately 31% of the claims submitted required enforcement by County Court bailiffs.

“Most possession claims do not require bailiff enforcement, as tenants vacate the property at various stages of the process and only a minority lead on to bailiff enforcement.

“The timeliness of the enforcement of an order, where this is required, can be influenced by the actions of users and the court. HMCTS is taking forward work to explore further improvements to bailiff recruitment and retention practices and to reduce administrative tasks for bailiffs to improve communications and efficiency.”

Record waiting times for landlords

As previously reported by Property118, landlords are facing the longest court waiting times in 20 years despite a drop in possession claims.

Founder of Landlord Action, Paul Shamplina, said: “Although headline possession claims have fallen, the reality on the ground is that the system is taking longer to deliver outcomes.

“Years of underinvestment in the courts are now translating into record waiting times for landlords.”