Trends in eviction and mortgage possession claims in England

Insecure housing poses a risk to health, as it can undermine people’s sense of control over their own environment and cause stress. Research has found that accumulating housing cost arrears, housing payment problems and imminent eviction or repossession can have a considerable impact on people’s psychological well-being.

The chart looks at mortgage possession claims for homeowners and eviction claims for social and private renters. A claim is the point where we can first measure the threat of homelessness beginning and identify households that are most at risk of losing their homes. 

• Before 2020/21, social renters were the most likely tenants to be subject to a possession claim. Following the pandemic-related pause on evictions, private renters now have the highest possession claim rate (13.0 per 1,000).
• Possession claims in the private rented sector have risen much higher than other tenancy types. The rate of possession claims for the private rented sector (13.0 per 1,000) is now higher than it was before the pandemic (9.2 per 1,000). It is the only tenancy type to have higher possession claim rates now than it did before the pandemic.
• In the period from 2009/10 to 2020/21, mortgage possession claim rates fell by 98% from a peak of 10.7 to just 0.2 per 1,000 households. These have only increased to 3.2 per 1,000 in the four years since.
• Social tenants have seen the most dramatic fall in possession claims from a peak of 28.5 per 1,000 households in 2013/14, down to 15.1 in 2019/20 (pre-pandemic). The pandemic pause in evictions saw claims fall to a low of 1.6 per 1,000 households in 2020/21, although this rose slightly to 8.6 in 2024/25. 

Claims have been rising consistently since the pandemic. Evictions were banned in the early stage of the pandemic and slowed as a consequence. However, housing affordability pressures have been rising with the cost-of-living crisis. There was a rapid increase in rents between 2021 and 2024 and people’s budgets have been squeezed due to higher costs of essentials. These two factors have likely contributed to the post-pandemic increase in evictions.