Bailiff crisis hit repossessions

Pre-Covid signs were promising. Possession action was falling with figures from the first quarter of this year the lowest in 20 years.

However even before the pandemic saw courts close for six months, there was a backlog of cases, as they were operating at full capacity.

With increasing numbers of landlords having to use bailiffs to enforce judgements, already lengthy wait times are set to increase further, an issue compounded by problems recruiting bailiffs.

As part of the NRLA’s deep insight series, senior policy officer James Wood looks at theses waiting times – which vary substantially across the country  – and examines what the Government can do to address the issue.