Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they expect a reduction in the average time it takes for a landlord to regain possession through the courts as a result of the Renters' Rights Act 2025; and if so, when.

The Ministry of Justice publishes quarterly possession statistics which monitor the volume and timeliness of possession claims in the County Court. The Civil Procedure Rules state that possession hearings should be listed between 4 and 8 weeks of a claim being issued. The latest possession statistics for October to December 2025, show a mean average of 7.3 weeks from claim to order, down from 8.0 weeks for the same period in 2024.

In the longer term, we expect the reforms to reduce the volume of possession claims as only those cases where there is a clear, well-evidenced ground for possession will be able to proceed. We are also developing a new digital possession service – doing away with outdated paper processes and reducing the chance of mistakes being made.

The timeliness of the court possession process is influenced by a number of factors including user behaviour.