The number of bailiff repossessions in 2014 rose to 41,965, which is an 11 per cent rise on the previous year – and the highest figure since records began in 2000. In contrast, the number of landlords starting the repossession process to reclaim their property has actually fallen to 161,257, a 5 per cent decrease on the previous year. Social landlords made the majority of the claims for possession (62 per cent); private landlords made a further 13 per cent of the claims; and the rest were accelerated claims where a landlord just wanted his property back and there was no overdue rent.
‘It’s Grim in the Rental Sector’ says Shelter
Housing pressure group, Shelter, claims the statistics released by the Ministry of Justice paint a very grim picture of life in the private rental sector. In a statement made to Channel 4, Shelter’s chief executive, Campbell Robb, says:
“The failure of successive governments to build anywhere near enough affordable homes combined with a wave of welfare changes is making it harder and harder for people to stay in their homes. The only way for politicians to fix this crisis for good is to commit to building the genuinely affordable homes that we desperately need.”
‘No, it’s Not!’ says NLA
The National Landlords Association disagrees.
“These statistics reinforce what the NLA has consistently said, that repossession is always a last resort for landlords.
“A landlord will always aim for good, stable, long-term tenancies and repossession just doesn’t make good business sense. Repossessions mean additional costs for landlords in the form of court costs, loss of rent, letting agents’ charges and local empty property charges.”
