landlordzone is at the center of fresh concern after councils were accused of advising tenants to stay in rented properties until bailiffs physically remove them. Landlords say the approach is leaving them unable to regain possession while arrears continue to build, and it is drawing attention to the pressure on housing services. The dispute is now framed as a clash between homelessness duties and the practical reality of eviction delays.
Councils, eviction delays and landlord pressure
The main complaint is that local authorities are telling tenants to remain in place until the final stage of the possession process, even though government homelessness guidance says councils should not consider it reasonable for tenants to wait for a bailiff eviction. That guidance is not legally binding, but landlords and sector representatives say it should still shape local practice.
Under the current process, once a possession notice is served, landlords must secure a court order before applying for a bailiff appointment. That can take months, and the result is that tenants may stay in the property while rent arrears mount and the landlord has no immediate route to recover possession. In that environment, landlordzone is being used to highlight how quickly a housing dispute can become a wider financial and legal burden.
The issue also sits inside a difficult policy backdrop. Local authorities are legally required to provide emergency housing only once a tenant is formally homeless, while those who leave earlier can be treated as intentionally homeless, which limits the support they may receive.
What officials and sector leaders are saying
Nathan Emerson, Chief Executive of Propertymark, said the practice contradicts the code of practice, which makes clear that councils should not adopt a blanket policy of telling tenants to stay put and wait for bailiffs to arrive. His comments underline the argument that the approach is too broad and too damaging for landlords already trying to follow the legal process.
Paul Shamplina, Founder of Landlord Action, said the issue has worsened in recent years and warned that it will intensify once Section 21 is abolished. He said tenants in arrears served with a Section 8 notice may find it even harder to be rehoused, while landlords remain stuck in an increasingly difficult position. He added that Section 8 claims are more complex, easier to challenge, and more open to adjournments if paperwork is not completed precisely.
Those warnings are being tied to a larger strain on the system. Shamplina said both tenants and landlords are being let down by a system strained by a chronic shortage of social housing. The complaint is not just about individual cases; it is about a process that can keep properties in limbo for months.
Why the row matters now
The government homelessness guidance makes the policy issue clear, even if it does not have the force of law. That leaves councils with room to act differently, and it is that gap that landlords say is producing confusion, conflict and avoidable losses.
landlordzone now sits inside a wider argument over where the burden should fall when housing need collides with possession law. If councils keep leaning on landlords as the default safety net, the pressure on evictions, costs and conflict is likely to stay high, and the next stage of the debate will focus on whether local practice can be brought closer to the government guidance that councils should not tell tenants to remain until a bailiff arrives.
