Ministry of Justice figures show landlord possession claims rose to 22,733 in the first quarter of 2026, but Landlord Action says the data still does not capture the full pre-Renters’ Rights Act rush that built before Section 21 was abolished on 1 May.
The latest release covers January to March, which means much of the late-April legal activity triggered by the reform deadline is still missing from the court data. Landlord Action said many landlords were serving notice, taking advice and instructing solicitors before cases had reached formal claim stage.
For landlords, that matters now because the headline numbers may understate the pressure still moving into the courts. If the backlog builds through the next two quarters, investors could face longer recovery times, slower reletting and higher arrears losses just as the new possession regime beds in.
Q1 claims rose before the full reform effect appeared
According to the Ministry of Justice figures cited by Landlord Today, overall landlord possession claims increased from 21,457 in the previous quarter to 22,733 in Q1 2026. Paul Shamplina, founder of Landlord Action, said it was too early to treat that as the full picture of landlord behaviour ahead of the reform deadline.
Paul Shamplina, founder of Landlord Action, said the Q1 figures did not show a dramatic spike in claims overall, but did suggest pressure in the private rented sector remained elevated before the Renters’ Rights changes. He said Q2 and Q3 should give a clearer reading of how much activity actually flowed into the court system.
This follows Residential Landlord’s recent coverage of court risk around pre-deadline Section 21 claims, and earlier reporting on how possession wait times were already under heavy strain before the new regime took effect. The latest figures suggest the real test may still be ahead rather than behind.
That timing point matters. A landlord who served notice in late April may only now be moving into the more expensive part of the process, especially where paperwork, hearings or bailiff stages are involved. If that pipeline thickens, the practical impact for landlords will land well after the legal change itself.
Landlords should watch court pressure, not just headline claims
The more useful question is not whether claims rose modestly in Q1, but whether the courts can absorb what comes next. Landlords using possession grounds after the end of Section 21 will want to see whether hearing times, adjournments and enforcement waits begin to worsen through the summer.
There is also a strategic point for investors. If slower possession becomes the norm, risk pricing on tenant selection, rent guarantee cover and cash reserves may change. Smaller landlords with thin margins are likely to feel that shift first.
The underlying statistics are available in the Ministry of Justice mortgage and landlord possession release.
Opinion
The danger for landlords is assuming the possession story is already visible in the numbers. It probably is not. If the worst of the post-reform strain only starts to appear in Q2 and Q3, policymakers will have even less excuse for ignoring the court system landlords now depend on more than ever.
