HM Courts and Tribunals Service has halted the work of bailiffs on safety grounds. 

An incident is under investigation, and it’s believed that the situation won’t change until all bailiffs have bespoke, personal protective equipment.

While no landlord wants to see a bailiff injured in the course of their work, a specialist lettings legal service says the move is a bitter blow for many landlords who have already been struggling for months to regain control of their properties via clogged and dysfunctional legal means.

LegalforLandlords has been recording the scale of the problem, which appears to be particularly acute in the capital. 

Courts affected include Central London, Croydon, Brentford and Wandsworth. 

Sim Sekhon, LegalforLandlords managing director, believes there may well be others. 

“These are the cases we know about because our clients are directly affected. We can’t overstate the misery this is causing.”

Sekhon says his team is aware 80 cases awaiting bailiff appointments – the majority in London.

There are also four cases where existing bailiff appointments have been cancelled – often at short notice with the court expecting the landlord to inform the tenant.

There is no indication currently of when the bailiff service will be operating again or when new appointments will be confirmed. 

If the courts are aware of the distress their move is causing landlords, there’s little sign that they are hurrying to alleviate it, says Sekhon.

“The only option is to apply to the High Court,” he says. “But doing so is a lot more costly and there are no guarantees that the judge will appoint a High Court Enforcement Officer. 

“It’s a terrible situation. It’s causing real problems and we have no idea how long it may persist. Once again, landlords’ needs are being ignored.”