Call of the month: Questions on the courts

This month we were contacted by a member who wanted to know whether there had been any changes to the repossession process after reading about the progress of the Renters (Reform) this week.   

The member had served a section 21 notice to start the repossess process, and called our landlord support team to ensure they were following the correct procedure when applying to court. 

The adviser was able to clarify that the Bill is currently making its way through Parliament so is not yet law, and assured the landlord they could still rely on the section 21 notice. 

The adviser also checked the section 21 was valid by making sure enough notice had been given, and all of the prescribed information had been provided to the tenant on time.

Increased fees

However, as the notice was set to expire in May, the adviser did warn the landlord to be aware that – in a move unrelated to Renters Reform – the Government has increased court fees by around 10%, a change that came in on Wednesday this week. (May 1). 

For landlords this means a £36 increase in making a possession claim, with the fee going up from £355 to £391.  

The cost of applying for a warrant of possession has increased by £13, from £130 to £143. 

More information

For all the latest on the Renters (Reform) Bill click here.

For more information on the increase  to court fees click here.