The Law Society of England and Wales is demanding what it call “immediate investment in the justice system to support reform of the rental market.”

This call comes as new quarterly figures published by the Ministry of Justice show a rise in what the society describes as “renters at risk of homelessness.”

The statistics also indicate that mortgage orders for possession increased by 38% (2,923 to 4,038), compared to the same quarter in 2023. Landlord possession orders rose 7% (from 17,987 to 19,254). 

The society claims this could lead to eviction for almost 25,000 people.

Law Society president Richard Atkinson says: “The rising number of eviction orders reflects the alarming state of our housing crisis and the urgent need for rental reform.

“The cost-of-living crisis has meant that renters are increasingly at risk of losing their homes. When faced with repossession, renters should be entitled to legal representation and access to justice. However, an underfunded justice system has denied renters a fair chance in court due to lack of legal aid.

“It is deeply concerning that 25.3m people (42%) do not have a local legal aid provider for housing advice. This means that there is no support for renters who cannot afford legal help.

“It is critical that the government invests in the legal aid system, so that renters have the help they need to avoid losing their homes.

“While we welcome the government’s Renters Rights Bill, it will struggle to achieve effective rental reform without funding the justice system and legal aid. The government must immediately invest £4.3 million in housing legal aid alongside the Bill to close this gap in provision.

“Labour must recognise that only a well-funded justice system can protect renters’ rights.”

Meanwhile the eviction service Landlord Action says a critical shortage of bailiffs is creating vast delays at court hearings.

The service cites what it calls “significant delays” in bailiff appointments at County Courts across London. 

For example seven courts managed by the Stratford Housing Centre are now scheduling bailiff appointments as far out as mid-2025. 

In recent weeks, Landlord Action has been alerted to a severe case processing failure at Barnet County Court, where several clients scheduled for bailiff appointments in October 2024 were left unattended by bailiffs, leading to further delays. 

“Fortunately, in some of our cases the tenants had by then left voluntarily but not in all cases. We have struggled to get updates from the court in Barnet” says Paul Shamplina, founder of Landlord Action. 

“When our case handlers call, they’re routed through a central answering centre, with no direct access to the court itself. We believe this issue, left unaddressed, is likely to extend beyond Barnet and affect landlords across London.

“It’s abundantly clear that County Courts are facing a severe bailiff employment crisis, with only around 300 County Court bailiffs available across England and Wales. 

“This shortage is eroding landlords’ confidence in the legal system’s ability to help them regain possession.”