Mortgage and landlord claims, orders and warrants all decreased year-on-year at the end of 2025, but repossessions have risen, leading to calls from the Law Society for the government to invest in the courts.
According to the latest statistics from the Ministry of Justice, which covered mortgage and landlord possessions from October to December, landlord possession claims contracted by 11% compared to the same period in the previous year to 21,458. Orders decreased by 8% to 16,913 and warrants declined by 12% to 9,606.
Landlord repossessions grew by around 3% year-on-year to 7,254, the report said.
The median average time from claim to landlord repossession rose to 27 weeks, a rise from 24 weeks at the end of 2024.
On the mortgage side, mortgage possession claims declined by 27% year-on-year to 4,439 and orders decreased by 10% to 3,754 over the same time period.
Warrants fell by 8% annually to 3,057, while repossessions by county court bailiffs increased by 18% year-on-year to 1,138.
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The median average time from claim to mortgage repossession went up to 46.7 weeks, a rise from 46 weeks before.
The median average time from claim to warrant currently stands at 33 weeks, an increase from 31.3 weeks in the same period in 2024.
Law Society urges govt to invest in courts to cope with rise in ‘contested repossession cases’
The Law Society has called on the government to further invest in courts, pointing to the rise of private landlord repossessions ahead of the Renters’ Rights Act coming into force in May.
Section 21 no-fault evictions are due to be abolished in England on 1 May, and the Law Society said this is expected to lead to a rise in the number of “contested repossession cases”.
Mark Evans, the Law Society’s president, said: “To ensure a level playing field between landlords and tenants and maintain confidence in the justice system, the government must ensure courts are properly funded to handle the expected rise in contested hearings.
“The end of ‘no-fault’ evictions in England is one of the biggest changes in the private rented sector in decades. However, without appropriate funding, additional delays and backlogs in the courts will be unavoidable and will mean that justice will not be available to all.”
He continued: “Next year’s data will ultimately show how the Renters’ Rights Act contributes to a fairer housing system, including how the abolition of Section 21 in England affects the overall repossession statistics. The courts must start getting ready now, not after the backlog starts growing even more.
“Although most of the provisions in the Renters’ Rights Act only apply to England, rising case volumes will impact the whole system. So, now is the perfect time to further invest across both the Welsh and English courts.
“Safe and stable housing is a fundamental human right. The government must take prompt action to protect both tenants and landlords.”