Crisis responds to new Landlord Repossession statistics showing 106% increase in repossession claims

The Ministry of Justice has today (Thursday 10th November 2022) released its latest statistics on mortgage and landlord possessions in England and Wales, covering July-September 2022.  

The new figures show that there were 21,012 landlord repossession claims in this period, a 106% increase on the same quarter last year, which was also the first quarter after the pandemic moratorium on evictions in England had ended. This is also a 16% increase since April-June 2022. 

The statistics also show that there were: 

• 5,403 actual landlord repossessions, 10% more than at the same time last year, and 9% more than in the previous quarter. 
• 744 mortgage repossessions, a 90% increase on the same time last year, and a similar level to the previous quarter. 

Crisis, the national charity for people who are homeless, is concerned that as the courts backlog is cleared and the cost of living crisis continues we will see even more people facing eviction and homelessness in the coming months.  

Crisis is calling for the Government to commit to increasing Housing Benefit in next week’s Autumn Statement as a matter of priority and to honour the Conservative party’s commitment to end no-fault evictions. Otherwise, the charity warns, thousands more people will find themselves homeless this winter.  

Responding to the figures, Matt Downie, Crisis Chief Executive, said: “This is a time of huge uncertainty for many renters who are worried about being forced out of their home, falling into arrears or being hit with a rent hike.  The rising cost of living means that for more and more people, housing costs are outstripping their incomes. The added threat of being made homeless is causing unimaginable stress for thousands.  

“With the number of claims by landlords looking to repossess their homes more than doubling, it’s clear that we need to act quicky. We must urgently put a safety net in place to help people who might find their tenancies ended at a moment's notice. 

“What’s more, with the Government still yet to honour its manifesto commitment to ban no-fault evictions, people are being forced to live each day with the stress of knowing that their landlord could at any time take the house back. 

“But it doesn’t have to be like this. Investing in housing benefit so that it starts to cover the true cost of rent would immediately help prevent homelessness by protecting people from falling into arrears. And in the longer-term, the government also needs to urgently bring forward the Renters Reform Bill to protect tenants from being hit with a no-fault eviction notice.”