Latest data from the Ministry of Justice reveals the huge disruption to normal possessions claims activity during Covid lockdown months, and how evictions data has been turned on its head.

Figures just out from the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) reveal that private landlords have become the most common instigators of possession claims against tenants, turning the usual ratio on its head.

During the lockdown months (April to June) a minority (27% or 823) of all landlord possession claims were social landlords while the group making up the largest proportion (44% or 1,317) were private.

This contrasts with previous quarters. During April to June 2019, the majority(58% or 15,581) of all landlord possession claims were social landlords, and accelerated claims and private landlord claims made up just 19% and 23% of all landlord claims respectively.

During these three months the totals were 2,022 claims, 658 orders and 268 warrants were made, although these cannot be progressed to bailiff repossessions at this time.

Standstill

Despite these figures, nevertheless they show that possession activity had come to a complete standstill by June; during the preceding three months landlord possession claims, orders and warrants, when compared to the same three months last year, plummeted by 97%, 96% and almost 100% respectively.

And no repossessions by county court bailiffs have been recorded for this quarter. But the MoJ says that despite the huge declines in evictions activity during the Covid lockdown, property possession actions across all types (mortgage and landlord repossessions) had already been falling since the beginning of 2020.

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