New research from an industry legal firm shows London landlords are bearing the brunt of court backlogs, with possession cases involving ongoing rent arrears costing an average of £22,968 in lost income so far in 2025.

The capital’s high rents — averaging £2,197 a month, the highest in the UK — combined with the longest delays in the court system, make London uniquely exposed. By comparison, the UK-wide average loss stands at £8,700, underscoring the greater financial risk of letting property in the city.

The analysis also points to wide regional disparities in court waiting times leaving landlords and letting agents struggling to plan with confidence amid unpredictable outcomes.

Possession cases in Central London, Willesden, Edmonton, and Clerkenwell & Shoreditch County Courts are taking the longest to conclude, with average delays stretching to 11 months.

Other courts — including Teesside, Leeds, Brighton, and Sheffield — are also facing significant backlogs, with typical waits of around eight months.

Across the nation, the average time for a possession case to reach resolution now stands at five months, highlighting the uneven and prolonged pressures across the court system.

A spokesman for the legal company has told the government how important that court reform are and needs to be carried out in wake of the abolition of Section 21 evictions which are currently five months away: “These delays are already placing huge pressure on landlords, particularly in the regions where courts are most backlogged.

“Every extra month a case spends in the system is another month of rent that may never be recovered. Without meaningful court reform, the Renters’ Rights Act risks driving these numbers even higher.

“We are already seeing more landlords relying on Section 21 while it is still available, which is likely to translate into further increases in possession claims and evictions, with knock-on financial and emotional impacts across the sector.”