Mortgage and landlord possession statistics: January to March 2021

Question 1

1. Main Points

Accepted Answer


All possession actions by both landlords and mortgage providers have reduced significantly following Covid-19 impact and associated actions	The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) announcements and the passing of the Coronavirus Act in March 2020 means that possession actions of all types have dropped to unprecedentedly low levels. As a result, the data is unlikely to be representative of general trends in possession actions. Caution should therefore be used when interpreting and applying these figures.
Mortgage claims, orders, warrants and repossessions have decreased significantly	Compared to the same quarter last year, mortgage possession claims, orders, warrants and repossessions by county court bailiffs have decreased by 85%, 96%, 99% and almost 100% respectively.
Landlord possession actions have also all decreased significantly	Landlord possession claims, orders, warrants and repossessions by county court bailiffs have decreased by 74%, 72%, 80% and 96% respectively (compared to the same quarter last year).
Mortgage and Landlord possession claims, and repossession rates have fallen across all regions	Decreases in possession claims have been recorded over all regions. Landlord claims remain concentrated in London (with 9 of the highest 10 claim rates).
Mortgage median average time (from claim to repossession) has decreased to 15.7 weeks	The median average time from claim to mortgage repossession has decreased to 15.7 weeks, down from 41.1 weeks in the same period in 2020. However, it should be noted this is based on only three cases.
Median timeliness for landlord repossessions has increased to 57.6 weeks	The median average time from claim to landlord repossession has increased to 57.6 weeks, up from 21.1 weeks in the same period in 2020.

This publication provides mortgage and landlord possession statistics in January to March 2021, compared to the same quarter the previous year. For technical detail, please refer to the accompanying supporting document.

A data visualisation tool has also been published this quarter that provides further breakdowns in a web-based application. The tool can be found here.

Note that due to the coronavirus we have included an annex at the end of our publication over the last year. This will be the last time that we include this annex.

For feedback related to the content of this publication and visualisation tool, please contact us at CAJS@justice.gov.uk

Question 2

2. Statistician’s Comment

Accepted Answer

This quarter covers the period of the third national lockdown. To respond to the coronavirus pandemic, there have been several policy interventions in the possession process. These have included a stay on most possession proceedings in the county court, changes to notice periods, national restrictions on bailiff enforcement, and FCA instructions to mortgage lenders not to carry out enforcement activity.

As a result, volumes of possession actions remain significantly low across all regions as these policy interventions introduced at the beginning of the pandemic have been further extended on most possession proceedings.

After the expiration of the stay in September, possession claims restarted in the courts and were expected to increase. However, this has not been the case and there were 2,720 reactivations last quarter (Oct to Dec 2020) which reduced to 798 in this quarter (Jan to Mar 2021). Claim volumes have been affected by the extension of notice periods from 3 to 6 months (apart from in egregious cases where tenants have demonstrated anti-social behaviour or committed fraud).

A small number of repossessions did take place in the latest quarter – 3 Mortgage and 262 Landlord repossessions, with a median average time of 15.7 and 57.6 weeks respectively. These measures are volatile due to the pause placed on possessions actions and should be taken in the context of extremely small volumes and the invariable additional time needed where normal courts procedures could not be followed. We do not expect a return to normal trends while restrictions are in place.

While these statistics are of interest to the public, it is worth noting that the small volumes mean the data is unlikely to be representative of general trends in possessions actions. Caution should therefore be used when interpreting and applying these figures.

Question 3

3. Overview of Mortgage Possession

Accepted Answer

Mortgage possession figures have dropped significantly, with claims, orders, warrants and repossessions all dropping by 85% or more in comparison to January-March 2020

As a result of coronavirus and associated actions, all mortgage possession actions have dropped significantly. Compared to the same quarter in the previous year, mortgage possession claims (735) are down 85%. Mortgage orders for possession (145) are down 96%, warrants issued (43) are down 99% and repossessions (3) are down almost 100%.

Figure 1: Mortgage possession actions (actual and seasonally adjusted) in the county courts of England and Wales, January to March 2016 to January to March 2021 (Source: Table 10a)

Figure 1: Mortgage possession actions (actual and seasonally adjusted) in the county courts of England and Wales, January to March 2015 to January to March 2021 (Source: Table 10a)

Mortgage possession claims fell from a peak of 26,419 in April to June 2009 before stabilising from April to June 2015 (4,849). In the most recent quarter, January to March 2021, there were 735 claims for possession, down 85% from the same quarter in 2020.

Orders and warrants for possession followed a similar trend to mortgage claims, falling from a peak of 23,850 orders in July to September 2009 and 21,350 warrants in January to March 2009, and stabilizing around 2016/17. Compared to the same quarter of the previous year, orders are down 96% to 145 and warrants are down 99% to 43 in January to March 2021.

Historically, repossessions by county court bailiffs fell from a high of 9,284 in Q1 of 2009 to 934 in Q3 of 2018, the lowest recorded level of the series at the time. Following the complete cessation of repossession proceedings from March to September 2020 where no repossessions took place, the FCA guidance advised mortgage lenders not to commence or continue possession proceedings until April 2021 (unless special circumstances). As a result there were only 7 repossessions in Q4 and similarly only 3 repossessions in January to March 2021, down 96% compared to the same quarter in 2020.

Before the impact of coronavirus, the historical fall in the number of mortgage possession actions since 2008 has generally coincided with lower interest rates, a proactive approach from lenders in managing consumers in financial difficulties and other interventions, such as the Mortgage Rescue Scheme and the introduction of the Mortgage Pre-Action Protocol. Additionally, the downward trend seen in recent years mirrors that seen in the proportion of owner-occupiers.

Question 4

4. Mortgage Possession Action Timeliness

Accepted Answer

Median timeliness figures in recent quarters are volatile for mortgage orders, warrants and repossessions due to low volumes being processed

Median average time has increased for orders and warrants and decreased for repossessions. However due to the low volumes of possession actions this quarter, caution should be used when interpreting these results. It is unlikely that these timeliness figures are representative of any statistical trend and instead reflect the pause in actions and the wider impact on the courts.

The median average time from claim to repossession has decreased to 15.7 weeks, down from 41.1 weeks in the same period in 2020. However, it should be noted this is based on only three cases

Figure 2: Average timeliness of mortgage possession actions, January to March 2016 to January to March 2021 (Source: Table 3)

Number of weeks taken from initial mortgage claim to…

Claims to order median timeliness has increased to 22.4 weeks, up from 7.0 weeks in the same period in 2020.
Claims to warrant median timeliness has increased to 48.4 weeks, up from 28.0 weeks in the same period in 2020.
Claims to repossession median timeliness has decreased to 15.7 weeks, down from 41.1 weeks in the same period in 2020.

The above charts distinguish between the timeliness of possession claims at different stages of a case. Average time taken from claim to warrant or repossession can fluctuate and is affected by various factors. For example, the final two charts take account of the amount of time between the court order being issued and the claimant, such as the mortgage lender, applying for a warrant of possession.

The short-term increases noted over the past few quarters reflect the stay on most possession claims implemented between March and September for case progression and the ongoing stay to evictions (with some exceptions). Those cases that are able to progress to repossession therefore include the duration of the stay within their timeliness. This “hold stay period” will form part of many possession actions over the next few quarters.

The long-term increases in the mean average time from claim to warrant and claim to repossession are due to an increasing proportion of historic claims (dating from 2007 to 2013) reaching the warrant and repossession stages respectively in recent quarters. This is possibly due to defendants recently breaking the terms of the mortgage agreements put in place at the start of the process. Although these historical outlying cases inflate the mean average, they have less effect on the median.

Question 5

5. Overview of Landlord Possession

Accepted Answer

The number of landlord possession actions for all court stages has also decreased significantly, with all stages down at least 72% and repossessions down 96% in comparison to the same quarter of last year

As a result of coronavirus and associated policy actions, all landlord possession actions have dropped significantly. Compared to the same quarter the previous year, landlord possession actions; claims (6,377), orders for possession (5,427), warrants (2,480) and repossessions (262) have decreased by 74%, 72%, 80% and 96% respectively.

Figure 3: Landlord possession actions (actual and seasonally adjusted) in the county courts of England and Wales, January to March 2016 to January to March 2021 (Source: Table 10b)

In January to March 2021, 40% (2,542) of all landlord possession claims were social landlord claims, and 16% (1,002) were accelerated claims. The group making up the largest proportion of landlord claims (44% or 2,833) were private landlord claims.

This is in contrast to previous quarters. For example, in January to March 2020, the majority (58% or 14,119) of all landlord possession claims were social landlord claims, and accelerated claims and private landlord claims made up just 18% and 24% of all landlord claims respectively.

The fall in claim and orders volumes is observed across all geographical regions. As in previous quarters, a concentration of claims was seen in London, with 1,965 landlord claims and 1,152 landlord orders at London courts in January to March 2021, accounting for 31% and 21% of all landlord possession claims and orders respectively. Despite this, in London there was still a decrease of 67% (from 5,984) for landlord claims and a decrease of 71% for landlord orders (from 3,928 in January to March 2020).

The 80% decrease in landlord warrants in January to March 2021 when compared to January to March 2020, was again accompanied by large decreases across all regions. The largest regional number of warrants (683) was again found in London, with this making up 28% of all landlord warrants. Despite this, there was a decrease of 79% for landlord warrants in London (from 3,198 in January to March 2020 to 683 in January to March 2021).

Question 6

6. Landlord Possession Timeliness[footnote 1]

Accepted Answer

Median timeliness figures in recent quarters are volatile for landlord orders, warrants and repossessions due to low volumes being processed

Median and mean average time has increased for orders, warrants and repossessions. However due to the low volumes of possession actions this quarter, caution should be used when interpreting these results. It is unlikely that these timeliness figures are representative of any statistical trend in timeliness and will instead reflect the pause in actions.

The median average time from claim to repossession has increased to 57.6 weeks, up from 21.1 weeks in the same period in 2020.

Figure 4: Mean and median average timeliness of landlord possession actions, January to March 2016 to January to March 2021 (Source: Table 6)

Number of weeks taken from initial landlord claim to…

Claims to order median timeliness has increased to 20.0 weeks, up from 6.7 weeks in the same period in 2020.
Claims to warrant median timeliness has increased to 31.9 weeks, up from 14.3 weeks in the same period in 2020.
Claims to repossessions median timeliness has increased to 57.6 weeks, up from 21.1 weeks in the same period in 2020.

The short-term increases noted over the past few quarters reflect the stay on most possession claims implemented between March and September 2020 for case progression and the ongoing stay to evictions (with some exceptions). Those cases that are able to progress to repossession therefore include the duration of the stay within their timeliness. This “hold stay period” will form part of many possession actions over the next few quarters.

Also, as shown by Figure 4, median figures are generally considerably lower than mean figures, demonstrating that on average, the progression from claim to successive stages can be positively skewed by outlying cases when using a mean measure of average timeliness.

Question 7

7. Regional Possession Claims

Accepted Answer

Epping Forest in the East of England region had the highest rate of mortgage possession claims at 11 per 100,000 households, followed by Redbridge (London region) and Lincoln (East Midlands region); with 10 and 9.6 claims per 100,000 respectively. Note that these rates are based on small numbers of possession claims only.

The majority of the highest landlord possession claim rates were found in London, where 9 of the 10 highest rates occurred. City of London had the highest rate (117 per 100,000 households).

Figure 5: Mortgage possession claims per 100,000 households, January to March 2021 (Source: map.csv; see supporting guide)

Local Authority	Rate (per 100,000 households)	Actual number
Epping Forest	11.0	6
Redbridge	10.0	11
Lincoln	9.6	4

73 local authorities had no mortgage possession claims during this period. Excluding these, Wiltshire had the lowest rate of mortgage claims (0.5 per 100,000 households).

Figure 6: Landlord possession Claims per 100,000 households, January to March 2021 (Source: map.csv; see supporting guide)

Local Authority	Rate (per 100,000 households)	Actual number
City of London	117	5
Kensington and Chelsea	114	86
Newham	101	116

London boroughs account for 9 of the 10 local authorities with the highest rate of landlord claims.

4 local authorities had no landlord claims during this period. Excluding this, Bromsgrove had the lowest rate of landlord claims (2.4 per 100,000 households).

Question 8

8. Regional Repossessions (by County Court Bailiffs)

Accepted Answer

Due to very low numbers of mortgage repossessions this quarter, no mortgage repossession rates have been calculated as they may be misleading.

Landlord repossessions were highest in Exeter with 22 per 100,000 households, but were mainly concentrated in the South East (3 out of the 10 highest rates), followed by London, the West Midlands and the South West (which all had 2 out of the 10 highest rates).

Figure 7: Mortgage repossessions per 100,000 households, January to March 2021 (Source: map.csv; see supporting guide)

No mortgage repossessions by county court bailiffs were recorded during this period in 333 local authorities. Of the remaining 3 local authorities that recorded repossessions, none recorded more than one.

The local authorities that recorded one repossession were; Warwick, Worthing and Swansea. We have not used these figures to calculate rates per 100,000 households as the figures are so low and the resulting relativities between local authorities could be misleading.

Figure 8: Landlord repossessions per 100,000 households, January to March 2021 (Source: map.csv; see supporting guide)

Local Authority	Rate (per 100,000 households)	Actual number
Exeter	22.0	12
Ealing	15.0	18
Lincoln	9.6	4

South East accounts for 3 out of the 10 local authorities with the highest rate of landlord repossessions. This was followed jointly by London, the West Midlands and the South West (which all had 2 out of the 10 highest rates).

214 local authorities had no landlord repossessions by county court bailiffs in January to March 2021.

Question 9

9. Annex: Impact of changes in possession process related to Coronavirus

Accepted Answer

To respond to the coronavirus pandemic, there have been a number of policy interventions in the possession process. These have had an impact on possessions data since March 2020 and this annex provides a monthly breakdown of this data.

9.1 Possession process

There was a stay on most possession proceedings in the county court which, having twice been extended, was in place between 27 March and 20 September 2020^{[footnote 2]} ^{[footnote 3]} ^{[footnote 4]}. Possession claims could be made during the stay but could not progress through the court until this was lifted.

The courts began to process possession cases from 21 September 2020. However, under Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) guidance, mortgage lenders were advised not to commence or continue possession proceedings against customers until 31 October 2020^{[footnote 5]}. This was later amended, with mortgage firms being advised that they could commence or continue possession proceedings but not seek to enforce repossessions before 31 January 2021, later extended to 1 April 2021^{[footnote 6]}.

Possession claims made before 3 August 2020 with no possession order made prior to 27 March 2020 needed to be reactivated after the end of the stay. These claims can only be reactivated by the claimant or defendant completing a reactivation notice and sending it to the court^{[footnote 7]}. The claimant also had to provide what information they had about the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the defendant, otherwise their case could be adjourned. The deadline for reactivating claims made before 3 August 2020 was extended from 29 January 2021 to 30 April 2021^{[footnote 8]}. After this date, any claims which were made before 3 August 2020 have been automatically stayed or suspended and require an application to the court for the stay to be lifted.

Possession claims can only be made after the relevant notice period has ended. In England and Wales, legislation has been passed to extend the notice periods which landlords must provide, except in the most serious circumstances. This has had a consequential effect on the volume of Claims for Possession being made by landlords.

9.2 Notice periods

In England, regulations were passed in August to extend notice periods in most private and social rented sector tenancies to six months except in the most serious circumstances, such as anti-social behaviour or extreme rent arrears. Notice periods had previously been three months for notices issued between 26 March and 28 August 2020.

In Wales, notice periods given to tenants from the 26 March to 23 July 2020 had to be at least three months for all kinds of notice. Most notice periods given in relation to assured shorthold tenancies on or after 24 July 2020 have had to be at least six months, while from 29 September 2020 onwards, most of those relating to other tenancy types have also had to be at least six months. However, those notice periods relating to anti-social behaviour grounds remained at three months until 28 September 2020 and then returned to their pre-Coronavirus Act 2020 lengths of one month or less, depending on the type of tenancy and ground used. The notice period for the eviction of a perpetrator of domestic abuse in a social tenancy in Wales also returned to its pre-Coronavirus Act length for notices served on or after 29 September 2020.

New arrangements introduced to coincide with the resumption of possession proceedings on 21 September included a Review stage^{[footnote 9]}. The new court arrangements require there to be at least 21 days’ notice of the Review date, and a further 28 days between the Review and the Substantive hearing.

9.3 Enforcement actions by bailiffs

During the stay on possession proceedings, repossessions were not being enforced by bailiffs, with the exception of trespass cases. In Q4 2020, following the end of the stay, there were periods of both local and national restrictions on bailiff enforcement in England and Wales, as detailed in Annex 9 of the previous release of the Mortgage and Landlord Possession Statistics^{[footnote 10]}.

In Q1 2021, national restrictions on bailiff enforcement were in place throughout England and Wales. Landlords have been able to apply for a warrant of possession where they have a valid possession order, but bailiffs have not been permitted to carry out repossessions except in the most serious circumstances. The restrictions mean that there was a significant reduction in the number of repossessions in Q1 2021 compared to the monthly average.

In England, legislation has been in force since 17 November 2020 which prevents bailiffs from serving notices of eviction or carrying out an eviction. However, there are some exemptions to the regulations for serious circumstances in landlord cases: illegal occupation, false statement, anti-social behaviour, domestic abuse in social tenancies, extreme rent arrears and death of a tenant where a property is unoccupied following the death of a tenant^{[footnote 11]}. The restriction has been renewed three times and the current regulations are due to expire on 31 May 2021^{[footnote 12]} ^{[footnote 13]} ^{[footnote 14]}.

In Wales, legislation has been in force since 11 December 2020 which prevents bailiffs from serving notices of eviction or carrying out an eviction, with exceptions for illegal occupation, domestic abuse in social tenancies and anti-social behaviour^{[footnote 15]}. The restriction has since been renewed until 30 June 2021, although this is subject to periodic review^{[footnote 16]} ^{[footnote 17]}.

Throughout Q1, mortgage lenders were instructed by the FCA not to carry out enforcement activity. Between 20 November 2020 and 1 April 2021, FCA guidance instructed lenders that court action up to and including an Order for Possession could proceed, but that the enforcement of repossession should not be sought (link to footnote 5). Since 1 April 2021, repossession in mortgage cases has continued to be restricted in England and Wales by the Regulations referred to above.

Due to coronavirus, a repossession may be postponed even if it is exempt from the restrictions. This is because bailiffs will not carry out a repossession at a property if they become aware, either in advance or upon attending the property, that anyone living there has Coronavirus, is self-isolating or has been identified as Clinically Extremely Vulnerable. In these circumstances, the eviction will be rescheduled with a minimum of 14 days’ notice.

9.4 Analysis of the impact of policy changes

This annex aims to more clearly demonstrate the impact of COVID-19-related action on the possession process. The initial claim stage and warrant issue stage have been chosen as they are considered to be representative of the early and late stages of a typical possession action, the repossession stage has also been chosen as the restrictions have had the biggest impact on this particular stage.

Alongside the figures for 2019 and 2020, we have presented a 5-year average which can be considered a baseline. This 5-year average is measured from 2015-2019 to exclude the anomalies seen in 2020 and 2021.

Figure 9: Comparison of all possession claims by month in the county courts of England and Wales (2019, 2020 and the 5-year average)

As can be seen in Figure 9, following the significant decrease in claim volumes in March 2020, by April these figures had fallen to just 1,080 claims, 90% down on April 2019 and down 91% on the 5-year average. The figures remained consistently low throughout the stay on possession actions, ranging from 979 to 1,301 claims. As a result of the end of the stay in late September, claims in September rose to 1,626, rising further in October and November to 3,076 claims (still down 71% on November 2019 and 75% on the 5-year average). Claims then gradually decreased to 2,133 from November to February, before rising again to 2,496 claims in March 2021. Despite this, March was still down 81% compared to the five-year average.

From the above Figure 9, we can also see that in the most recent quarter the proportion of accelerated landlord claims have decreased, and the proportion of mortgage claims have increased closer to historical levels (especially in March). Previously, accelerated and private landlord claims made up the bulk of all claims from May to December (greater than the 69% of all claims in each month).

Figure 10: Comparison of monthly claims by possession type in the county courts of England and Wales (2019, 2020 and 5-year average)

The total number of claims can be further subdivided by claim type, with Figure 10 showing the variation in claim numbers between landlord and mortgage claims.

The most significant decline was in mortgage possession claim numbers, suggesting that, overwhelmingly, mortgage lenders have complied with the FCA suspension of mortgage possession actions. Following the significant fall in claim numbers in April (79 claims, down 96% on 2019), claim numbers have remained low from May to September, never exceeding 60 claims per month. Throughout Q4 and this most recent quarter, there is an increasing trend, with March 2021 having 1,165 claims (still down 41% when compared to 2019).

Both social and private landlords showed a similar pattern. After the initial drop seen in April (to 313 claims for social landlords and 443 claims for private landlords), claim numbers remained low for both landlord types. Numbers then started to increase from August to November for both social and private landlords (849 and 1,282 respectively) with both landlord types decreasing again in December (719 for social landlords and 1,085 for private landlords). However, in this most recent quarter, although claim numbers have been steady for social landlords (ranging from 829 and 861), the decreasing trend in private landlords continued to February (down to 846 claims). Claim numbers then rose slightly to 1,008 in March 2021. February is down 83% and 59% compared to 2020 for social and private landlords respectively.

As for Accelerated landlord claims, the trend has been the least consistent. After the drop in April (to 245 claims, down 85% on 2019), claim numbers ranged from (245 to 514) in April to September, with July having the majority. Claim numbers then rose to 899 claims in October (down 44% on 2019). From September to March of this current quarter there is a decreasing trend to 280 claims in February and 245 in March. These figures are similar to the claim numbers seen in April 2020 with March being down 84% on 2019.

Figure 11: Possession claims where reactivation notices have been received^{[footnote 18]}, by week-commencing date

Figure 11: Possession claims where reactivation notices have been received, by week-commencing date

While only minimal increases in the number of new possession claims were recorded following the end of the stay in possession actions on 20 September, receipt of reactivation forms for existing claims has increased significantly since this time. During July-September 2020, 1,543 reactivation claim notices were received for claims started in 2020.^{[footnote 19]} A further 2,720 reactivation notices were received during the fourth quarter of 2020 and 798 in the first quarter of 2021. While a small number (82) of these reactivations were submitted week commencing 23 August (the first extension date for the stay), the second extension of the possession action stay until 20 September meant that numbers dropped following this date.

The majority of these reactivation requests were therefore not submitted until week commencing 20 September 2020 (893 requests in that week), with numbers falling in the subsequent months (only 40 requests in the week commencing 27 December). Following this there was an increasing trend leading up to the week commencing 24 January (212 requests). This week contained the initial deadline for reactivating claims (29 January). After which, the number of reactivation requests decreased again, plateauing to low numbers in February and March (with only 22 in the week commencing 21 March). As with new claims, accelerated and private Landlord claims made up the bulk of reactivated claim applications; 37% and 32% respectively.

Figure 12: Comparison of all possession warrants issued by month in the county courts of England and Wales (2019, 2020 and 5-year average)

As can be seen in Figure 12, following the significant decrease in warrant volumes in March, by April these numbers had fallen to just 133 warrants, down 98% on both April 2019 and the 5-year average. After decreasing further to a low of 71 warrants in May, the numbers then showed an increase in the following months leading up to October. Despite this increasing trend, and the end of the stay on possession actions in late September, October is still down 88% compared to September 2019 and down 93% compared to the five-year average. Warrant numbers then decreased in November (to 527 warrants) before showing another increasing trend leading up to March 2021 (to 1,031 warrants). March is still down 84% compared to 2019 and 86% compared to the 5-year average.

Although this increasing trend is consistent across all landlord types, mortgage warrant volumes remained low from April to August (ranging between 2 and 5 warrants). In September and October, figures showed a slight increase (to 16 warrants in September and 23 in October), but October is down 99% compared to October 2019 and the five-year average. Following this, warrant numbers were inconsistent but still low (ranging from 7 to 20 in November 2020 to March 2021).

It should be noted that, during the suspension of possession activity, though warrants could still be issued where an individual has applied for one, that individual will be informed that no enforcement action can be undertaken at this time.

Figure 13: Comparison of all bailiff repossessions by month in the county courts of England and Wales (2019, 2020 and 5-year average)

As can be seen in Figure 13, across January and February 2020 the total number of repossessions was down on the same months of 2019 (down 8% and 13% respectively).

With the start of Covid-related actions impacting from the end of March, repossession numbers were down 34% on March 2019 (to 2,197 repossessions). As expected, no repossessions were recorded in Q2 and Q3 due to the stay on repossessions. There were 407 repossessions in October (down 88% on October 2019). Numbers then dropped to lower levels in November and December (to only 121 and 29 respectively). The number of repossessions remained similarly low in January and February (48 and 45 respectively), before increasing to 172 repossessions in March 2020.

Though the proportions of landlord types have remained fairly consistent throughout this period, after December, accelerated landlord repossessions remained considerably low. As a result, private and social landlord repossessions made up the bulk, with only 3% accelerated landlord repossessions in March.

Question 10

10. Further information

Accepted Answer

The statistics in the latest quarter are provisional and revisions may be made when the next edition of this bulletin is published. If revisions are needed in subsequent quarters, these will be annotated in the tables.

10.1 Accompanying files

As well as this bulletin, the following products are published as part of this release:

A supporting guide providing further information on how the data is collected and processed, including a guide to the csv files, as well as legislation relevant to mortgage possessions and background information.
A set of overview tables, covering key sections of this bulletin.
CSV files of the map data and the possession action volumes by local authority and county court.
A CSV file of the data included in the Annex.
A new data visualisation tool which replaces the Tableau tool to provide a detailed view of the Mortgage and Landlord statistics. We welcome feedback on this tool to help improve it in later editions and to ensure it meets user needs.

10.2 National Statistics status

National Statistics status means that official statistics meet the highest standards of trustworthiness, quality and public value.

All official statistics should comply with all aspects of the Code of Practice for Statistics. They are awarded National Statistics status following an assessment by the Authority’s regulatory arm. The Authority considers whether the statistics meet the highest standards of Code compliance, including the value they add to public decisions and debate.

It is the Ministry of Justice’s responsibility to maintain compliance with the standards expected for National Statistics. If we become concerned about whether these statistics are still meeting the appropriate standards, we will discuss any concerns with the Authority promptly. National Statistics status can be removed at any point when the highest standards are not maintained, and reinstated when the standards are restored.

10.3 Future publications

Our statisticians regularly review the content of publications. Development of new and improved statistical outputs is usually dependent on reallocating existing resources. As part of our continual review and prioritisation, we welcome user feedback on existing outputs including content, breadth, frequency and methodology. Please send any comments you have on this publication including suggestions for further developments or reductions in content.

10.4 Contact

Press enquiries should be directed to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government press office:

Simon Varcoe - email: Simon.Varcoe@communities.gov.uk

Other enquiries and feedback on these statistics should be directed to the Data and Evidence as a Service division of the Ministry of Justice:

Carly Gray - email: CAJS@justice.gov.uk

Next update: 12 August 2021

Produced by the Ministry of Justice
Alternative formats are available upon request from ESD@justice.gov.uk