Delays for Landlords 

Leading law firm has confirmed that it anticipates ‘serious delays’ for landlords looking to progress existing or new ‘low-priority’ evictions cases such as ‘no fault’ Section 21 evictions for non-payment of rent as judges prioritise what they consider to be ‘high priority’ cases. The comments are made by two property law experts at law firm CMS Cameron McKenna Nabarro – Eleanor Murray and Laura Cole as they explore how the new PD55C practice direction for possession hearings will pan out once the eviction ban ends on 23rd August, and the ramifications it will have for lawyers, landlords and tenants.

The government has stressed on several occasions that it is keen to encourage landlords wherever possible not to pursue non-priority cases through the courts and instead focus on those involving anti-social behaviour, extreme rent arrears, domestic abuse, cases involving squatters, fraud or unlawful subletting. It has also let it be known that this is a practical approach – the court system will not be able to cope if there is a surge of new possessions claims after August 23rd. “The way this is carried out all depends on if it’s just a way for the government to expect buy-to-let investors to subsidise the lives of people in the pandemic,” says Mary-Anne Bowring, group managing director at Ringley.