Ministry of Justice figures show accelerated landlord possession claims rose 16 percent year on year between April and June 2026, as pre-May Section 21 cases moved through the courts.
The newly released statistics do not show how many individual claims were contested or required a hearing. Thackray Williams says it is receiving more instructions from landlords seeking vacant possession and from tenants served with eviction notices after the Renters’ Rights Act took effect on 1 May.
An accelerated claim can cease to be a paper-based route when a tenant seeks extra time or raises an issue that requires a hearing. That is the immediate risk for landlords who served Section 21 notices before the legal change while preparing to sell.
Accelerated claims are up 16%
The Ministry of Justice recorded an annual 16% rise in accelerated landlord possession claims between April and June. Those cases include Section 21 claims, although the official statistics do not show how many individual cases were challenged or why.
Accelerated claims are a narrow measure and the 16% annual increase does not establish that every claim will face a hearing. It does, however, confirm that the route used for pre-May Section 21 notices was carrying more demand just as the rules changed.
Thackray Williams says tenants are increasingly asking courts for more time to find another home. The firm said that can turn an accelerated possession claim into a full hearing, increasing both the time before vacant possession and the legal bill.
This follows Residential Landlord’s report on the NRLA’s post-RRA checklists, which warned landlords that their evidence burden had increased. A sale strategy that depends on a quick vacant possession date is therefore exposed to a court timetable which may be less predictable than the notice itself suggests.
For landlords with a sale or refinance deadline, the operational question is whether a tenant has actually left, not merely whether notice has expired. A vacant-possession plan should include the risk of a claim, a defence and a hearing date, as well as the cost of representation and any loss of rent.
Court process remains the pressure point
Before serving a notice, owners should check the correct route, dates and evidence for the ground relied upon. A rushed decision made to protect a sale can create a more expensive delay if paperwork or service is later disputed.
Landlords should not assume that a notice being correctly served guarantees a short route to possession. Case-specific legal advice is essential, particularly where a tenant responds to the claim or a property sale has a fixed completion date.
The timing is awkward because the digital route is not yet a release valve for most private landlords. Residential Landlord recently reported that the court fees rose from 13 July, adding another cost to a disputed landlord possession case, leaving the private rented sector outside the first phase.
The Ministry of Justice’s April-to-June possession statistics provide the latest official count. They are a useful indicator of court demand, but they do not predict the outcome or duration of any particular landlord claim.
Opinion
The rise in accelerated claims is not proof that every landlord faces a prolonged battle. It does show that possession planning has to allow for a disputed route, not just a notice period. Selling landlords in particular should leave room for a hearing and avoid promising a completion date that rests on best-case court timing.
