9:00 AM, 9th August 2024, About 18 hours ago 2
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Social and private landlord possession claims, orders, warrants and repossessions all increased dramatically between and April and June, government data reveals.
When compared to the same quarter in 2023, landlord possession claims surged from 22,526 to 24,495 (9%), orders from 16,029 to 18,436 (15%), warrants from 9,957 to 11,172 (12%), and repossessions from 5,950 to 6,927 (16%).
Also, the median average time from claim to landlord repossession has increased to 25.4 weeks, up from 22.1 weeks last year.
The MoJ also says that mortgage possession claims increased from 3,991 to 5,343 (34%), orders from 2,529 to 3,395 (34%), warrants from 2,679 to 2,918 (9%) and repossessions by county court bailiffs from 660 to 854 (29%).
There were 7,668 private landlord possession claims in the second quarter and 8,448 were accelerated claims – which is a big increase on pre-covid figures when nearly two-thirds of claims came from social landlords but they now account for a third.
The data also shows that London is home to the highest claim rates for private landlord possessions, with seven of the 10 highest rates being found here.
Barking and Dagenham have the highest rate for private landlord claims, followed by Newham and Redbridge.
A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: “Both mortgage and landlord possessions actions have continued to rise in the current quarter.
“Mortgage claims have reached their highest volume since Q2 2019 and are now close to pre-covid volumes. This increase has been seen across all mortgage possession actions.
“All landlord possession actions have also continued to rise compared to the same period in 2023, albeit at a lesser rate than mortgage possession actions and not yet at pre-covid levels.”
The spokesperson added: “These increases in landlord possession actions are reflected across all actions for social landlord, private landlord and accelerated procedure claims.”
The landlord possession figures come as separate government data reveals a surge in landlords using no-fault evictions.
According to the Housing, Communities and Local Government department figures, 6,100 households in England were evicted using Section 21 notices in the first quarter of the year, up from 24,260 in the same period in 2023.
This is the highest figure since records began in 2018-19.
Generation Rent also points to the government data which shows that households being evicted due to landlords selling or re-letting their homes reached a record high of 45,110 in the same period.
The organisation’s chief executive, Ben Twomey, said: “Our home is the foundation of our lives, but for private renters it can be snatched away only too easily.
“We get just two months’ notice to move and no support with the costs of moving or raising a new deposit.”
He added: “Government plans to end Section 21 will stop thousands of people being made homeless because their landlord feels like getting a new tenant in, but we will still face insecurity if selling up is to become a valid ground for eviction.”
Using the same data, housing advice charity Shelter says the number of children who are homeless and living in temporary accommodation has rocketed to 151,630 – an increase of 15% in a year.
That’s the highest figure since 2004.
Its chief executive, Polly Neate, said: “As we hit yet another devastating record on homelessness, and evictions continue to rise, this government must succeed where previous governments have failed and tackle the housing emergency head on.
“Without a clear plan to invest in genuinely affordable social homes, thousands more children will be forced to grow up in damaging temporary accommodation.
“The government must urgently establish a cross-department homelessness strategy and scrap no fault evictions if we are to end homelessness.”
Nick Emmerson, the Law Society of England and Wales president, said: “The scale of our housing crisis is staggering. The rising number of eviction claims in England and Wales means that more people are at risk of being made homeless.
“Many individuals and families struggle with rent and mortgage payments as the cost-of-living crisis continues to bite.
“When threatened with eviction or repossession, legal aid is often the only hope a family or individual has to keep their home. Unfortunately, legal aid has become increasingly unavailable, as 25 million people do not have a local legal aid provider for housing advice.”
He added: “We urge the government to commit to wider reforms to the rental market, including the funding of legal aid. We also ask the government to adhere to their pledge to ban ‘no-fault’ evictions with immediate effect.”
Fred M BARRETT
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Sign Up11:03 AM, 9th August 2024, About 16 hours ago
2 things not normally mentioned. Are figures from Housing Associations included now they are counted as private landlords? It is said - but I have no figures - the proportion of actions taken overall by HAs - is higher than for other private landlords. The second is section 21. No fault means the landlord can give a glowing reference to poor tenants. The tenants have more chance of getting their next place and go with less fuss as it is to both parties advantage. Section 8 is a slammed door from prospective landlords. Section 21 also means the local authority has a statutory obligation to re-house. I suspect that is the real reason for govts to want to do away with section 21 as it will save money. Section 8 means local authorities can legally say - your fault, your problem, push off, but maybe more politely.
Cider Drinker
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Sign Up19:31 PM, 9th August 2024, About 7 hours ago
The government are in complete denial about the problems that mass migration brings. One of the main problems is housing. We simply do not have enough properties for everybody.
Unfair taxation and over-regulation we causing some landlords to sell up. Others are switching to short term rentals and those that remain are being more selective in the tenants that they will accept.
London will have more evictions because higher house prices amplify the impact of Section 24. All London landlords are likely to be higher rate taxpayers by virtue of the high rents. The Tories made BTL a dreadful investment and Labour even to make it even worse.