Tenant evictions hit 1,516 as eviction ban ends

The number of evictions by landlords in England and Wales hit 1,516 in June in the first month since the ban on evictions ended on 31st May according to the latest Ministry of Justice (MOJ) figures.

Possession claims rose from 3,023 to 7,000, orders from 656 to 5431, warrants from 274 to 3,709. However, the figure was down by 80% compared to the corresponding quarter of 2019 before the pandemic struck.

Landlord possession actions have also all decreased significantly when compared to the same quarter in 2020, Landlord possession claims, orders, warrants and repossessions by county court bailiffs increased by over 100% across all actions. Possession claims rose from 3,023 to 7,000, orders from 656 to 5431, warrants from 274 to 3,709 and repossessions from zero to 1516. 

Commenting on the figures Generation Rent Director Alicia Kennedy said: “These figures are a huge increase on the previous quarter, despite restrictions on evictions by bailiffs only being lifted in June.”

“There are thousands more who have lost work and got behind on their rent during the pandemic, and will find it difficult to repay that, even if their income recovers.”

“It is almost impossible to move to a new home if you are relying on benefits, so these renters face huge uncertainty in the months ahead while they wait to be told when the bailiffs will arrive.

“Only a Covid rent debt fund to clear these rent arrears will help renters back to their feet and remove the threat of homelessness from thousands of families. The government must act urgently to relieve this hardship.”