Worst areas for landlord eviction waiting times

• Barnet

• Birmingham

• Brentford

• Bromley

• Central London

• Clerkenwell

• Croydon

• Edmonton

• Kingston-upon-Thames County Court and Family Court

• Romford

• Slough

• Stratford

• Wandsworth

• Willesden

At the other end of the spectrum, the following jurisdictions have the shortest wait times of between 6-10 weeks: 

• Aldershot

• Blackpool

• Bradford

• Canterbury

• Crewe

• Darlington

• Gateshead

• Great Grimsby

• Leeds

• Leicester

• Milton Keynes

• Oxford

• Peterborough

• South Shields

• Stoke on Trent

• Swindon

• Walsall

• Watford 

Section 21 ban set to increase waiting times

The time it takes for landlords to get a court hearing is likely to increase further when the Renters’ Rights Act comes into force on 1st May 2026, abolishing Section 21 ‘no-fault’ evictions. 

Once Section 21 is removed, landlords will need to rely on Section 8 grounds, which are typically more complex and more likely to require court hearings, at which tenants will be able to challenge their attempted evictions. LegalforLandlds expects this to add further pressure to an already stretched court system. 

In areas where landlords are already waiting up to four months for hearings, it’s clear that  additional court resources and reforms need to be introduced if rightful possession claims are to be processed within any kind of acceptable timeframe.  

Sim Sekhon, Group CEO at LegalforLandlords, commented: 

“The fact that landlords are already waiting up to four months or more to regain possession of their properties highlights the significant strain our court system is under. Even if you’re lucky enough to fall into one of the areas with shorter wait times, you’re still looking at a potential delay of more than two months. With the abolition of Section 21 under the Renters Rights Act due to be enforced from May 2026, this is set to get even worse as cases become more complex and more heavily contested.

In this environment, it’s never been more important for landlords to have competent, engaged and proactive legal experts on their side. Ensuring that cases are prepared thoroughly, submitted correctly and managed closely from day one will be critical to minimising delays and helping landlords regain control of their properties as efficiently as possible.”

Data tables and sources

• Estimated approximate court hearing waiting times sourced internally from LegalforLandlords

• Full data tables can be found online, here