Benefit cuts and the growing trend of “revenge evictions” have been blamed for the surge as campaigners warned the figures provide further proof that the UK is in the middle of a housing crisis.
Figures show that 11,100 rented properties were repossessed by bailiffs between July and September, the highest quarterly figure since the records began in 2000. In contrast, just 2,805 mortgage borrowers lost their homes.
By the end of September, more than 30,000 tenant households had lost their homes, and the figure is on track to be higher than the 37,792 recorded in 2013.
The figures for possession claims in the third quarter show that of the 40,859 issued between July and September, 25,955 were by social landlords such as local councils and housing associations, while 5,694 were by private landlords, and the rest could not be broken down. The MoJ said it expected a fifth of the claims to lead to eviction.
Campbell Robb, the chief executive of the housing charity Shelter, said: “It’s heartbreaking to hear that so many people have lost the battle to keep a roof over their heads. Already, 90,000 children will be homeless this Christmas, and with housing costs sky high, many more families are living on a knife-edge knowing that just one thing, like a job loss or illness, could leave them facing the same fate.”
Seb Klier, policy manager at lobby group Generation Rent, said the figures were a “chilling” sign of a growing housing crisis.
“To reverse this trend we need rents that people can afford and stronger rights for those tenants who meet their obligations but don’t feel their home is theirs,” he added.
Tenant evictions at record high
According to new figures from the UK Ministry of Justice, the number of tenants evicted by their landlords has reached a record high.
Related topics: Landlords
Warren Lewis
17th November 2014
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