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18 February 2026
Issue: 8150 / Categories: Legal News , Landlord&tenant , Property , Housing
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Repossession cases surge

Increased delays and backlogs in the courts ‘will be unavoidable’ when the Renters’ Rights Act comes into force in May unless extra funding is provided, the Law Society has warned

Private landlord repossessions were up 3% on the previous year in October to December 2025, according to the Ministry of Justice’s mortgage and landlord possession statistics. London borough Barking and Dagenham recorded the highest number of private landlord repossession claims—878 per 100,000 households.

Law Society president Mark Evans said the Renters’ Rights Act’s ban on ‘no fault’ evictions is likely to increase the number of contested repossessions, piling pressure on the courts.

Evans said the government ‘must ensure courts are properly funded to handle the expected rise. The courts must start getting ready now, not after the backlog starts growing even more’.

Issue: 8150 / Categories: Legal News , Landlord&tenant , Property , Housing
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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Switalskis—Naila Arif, Harriet Findlay & Ellie Thompson

Switalskis—Naila Arif, Harriet Findlay & Ellie Thompson

Firm awards training contracts to paralegals through internal programme

Ward Hadaway—Matthew Morton

Ward Hadaway—Matthew Morton

Private client disputes specialist joins commercial litigation team

Thomson Hayton Winkley—Nina Hood

Thomson Hayton Winkley—Nina Hood

Cumbria firm appoints new head of residential property

NEWS
Freezing orders in divorce proceedings can unexpectedly ensnare third parties and disrupt businesses. In NLJ this week, Lucy James of Trowers & Hamlins explains how these orders—dubbed a ‘nuclear weapon’—preserve assets but can extend far beyond spouses to companies and business partners 
A Court of Appeal ruling has clarified that ‘rent’ must be monetary—excluding tenants paid in labour from statutory protection. In this week's NLJ, James Naylor explains Garraway v Phillips, where a tenant worked two days a week instead of paying rent
Three men wrongly imprisoned for a combined 77 years have been released—yet received ‘not a penny’ in compensation, exposing deep flaws in the justice system. Writing in NLJ this week, Dr Jon Robins reports on Justin Plummer, Oliver Campbell and Peter Sullivan, whose convictions collapsed amid discredited forensics, ‘oppressive’ police interviews and unreliable ‘cell confessions’
A quiet month for employment cases still delivers key legal clarifications. In his latest Employment Law Brief for NLJ, Ian Smith reports that whistleblowing protection remains intact even where disclosures are partly self-serving, provided the worker reasonably believes they serve the ‘public interest’ 
Family law must shift from conflict-driven litigation to child-centred problem-solving, according to a major new report. Writing in NLJ this week, Caroline Bowden of Anthony Gold outlines findings showing overwhelming support for reform, with 92% agreeing lawyers owe duties to children as well as clients
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