"It’s important to understand this isn’t about landlords leaving the market, or evicting tenants for the sake of it, but about them seeking to retain control of their assets whilst they can do so via current processes."
- Sam Humphreys - Dwelly
New analysis from Dwelly, the lettings acquisition and success planning specialist, shows landlord repossessions have risen by 6.8% across England and Wales over the past year. In some local areas, the increase has been far sharper, with Thurrock recording a surge of 2,540%.
The figures, taken from official Government mortgage and landlord possession statistics, compare repossessions in the most recent 12 months with the previous year. Dwelly suggests the growth reflects landlords acting early to secure their assets ahead of the Renters’ Rights Bill, which proposes abolishing Section 21 “no fault” evictions.
Regional picture
The East of England saw the largest regional increase, up 22.8%. London recorded the highest overall number of repossessions at 7,953, a rise of 19.5%, while the West Midlands was up 13.4%.
More modest growth was seen in the North East, East Midlands, North West and Yorkshire and the Humber. In contrast, repossessions fell in Wales (-33.8%), the South East (-12.3%) and the South West (-3.9%).
Local authority hotspots
At local level, the sharpest increases included:
Thurrock, up 2,540%
Basildon, up 889%
Castle Point, up 183%
Welwyn Hatfield, up 165%
Horsham, up 150%
Landlord reaction
Dwelly stressed the figures should not be interpreted as landlords leaving the sector. Instead, the company believes many are taking precautionary steps before Section 21 is removed.
Sam Humphreys, head of M&A at Dwelly, said: “The abolition of Section 21 is a cornerstone of the incoming Renters’ Rights Bill, but it risks removing a vital safeguard for landlords and the sharp rise in repossessions is a clear sign that landlords are already acting to protect themselves in advance of these changes.
“It’s important to understand this isn’t about landlords leaving the market, or evicting tenants for the sake of it, but about them seeking to retain control of their assets whilst they can do so via current processes."
“The private rented sector is essential to housing supply and if the Bill makes it harder for landlords to operate, it could backfire by further reducing availability for tenants at a time when demand has never been higher."
“At Dwelly, we’re focused on helping to make the lettings landscape a more harmonious place, by providing growth and exit planning solutions, alongside technology-driven support for letting businesses. By improving efficiency and streamlining compliance, we are able to help both letting agents and their landlords to better future-proof their portfolios and ensure that they are not only fully compliant in line with the incoming changes, but also that they have the ability to act quickly and professionally should issues arise.”
