Social landlords
Possession claims by social landlords leapt up by 8 per cent in the first quarter of the year, according to a legal information provider. Figures obtained from county courts by company Sweet & Maxwell show the claims went up from 23,189 in the fourth quarter of 2011 to 25,207.
The number of successful claims went up by 5.6 per cent from 16,174 to 17,130 over the same periods.
The sharp increase ends a three-year downward trend in possession claims by social landlords and both figures [claims and successful claims] are at their highest quarterly levels since the peak of the recession in the first quarter of 2009, Sweet & Maxwell found. Most of social housing possession orders are for rent arrears, the company said. It believes the rise in figures is the effect of the double dip recession now showing in the social housing market. It says although possession claims traditionally peak in first quarter of the year after the expensive winter season, this year’s figures are worse than usual.
Private Tenants
There has been a 70% rise in court orders to evict private tenants over the past three years, according to analysis by homelessness charity Crisis.
This follows a recent National Landlords Association’s members’ survey in which just under half (49 per cent) of 546 landlords surveyed online in June 2012 experienced rental arrears over the past 12 months.
Crisis analysed Ministry of Justice statistics to reveal that in the last year 36,211 landlords have been granted a court order to evict their tenants, up 12% on the previous 12 months, and 70% higher than the 21,351 court orders granted three years ago.