This article is an external press release originally published on the Landlord News website, which has now been migrated to the Just Landlords blog.
Tenant evictions have soared to a record high of 11,307 in the first quarter (Q1) of 2015, revealed Government data.
Tenant Evictions at Record High
Most renters facing eviction are in social housing rather than private rental sector accommodation, found the Ministry of Justice (MoJ).
The MoJ’s figures show that 11,307 households in England and Wales were evicted from their rental properties in Q1, an 8% increase on Q1 2014 and the highest number recorded in a quarter since records began in 2000.
According to the data, the rise in repossessions by county court bailiffs arrived after a peak in the amount of claims made by landlords for evictions at the start of 2014, when this number went over 47,200 in Q1 2014 due to the booming rental sector.
The MoJ states that there is a lapse between claims being filed and actual evictions as cases go through the county courts, which has caused the growth this year.
Claims for repossession have since dropped to 42,226 in Q1 2015. It is predicted that landlord evictions will fall in the coming year.
Newly re-instated housing minister Brandon Lewis explains: “There are strong protections in place to guard families against the threat of homelessness. We increased spending to prevent homelessness, with over £500m made available to help the most vulnerable in society and ensure we don’t return to the bad old days when homelessness in England was nearly double what it is today.”1
The MoJ’s report supports the Council of Mortgage Lenders’ research, which saw a drop in mortgage repossessions by a huge 50%.
1 http://www.lettingagenttoday.co.uk/breaking-news/2015/5/tenant-evictions-reach-record-high
