• Sat. Dec 14th, 2024

Cost-of-living crisis leading to more tenant evictions

Byoxfordnewspaper

Aug 16, 2022

New figures show more than a dozen tenants have been evicted from rental households between April and June.

Ministry of Justice figures show that 16 rental households in Oxford were evicted in the three months to June – up from two during the same period last year, which was largely covered by a nationwide ban on bailiff evictions.

Charities have warned that many tenants are facing uncertain financial situations as living costs soar, with action group Generation Rent saying “people face a devastating choice between paying rent, heating their home and putting food on the table.”

The figure is also above pre-pandemic levels – there were 12 landlord repossessions in Oxford in the three months to June 2019.

Across England and Wales, 4,900 landlord repossessions took place between April and June, more than three times as many as the same period a year earlier, when there were 1,582.

Director of Generation Rent Alicia Kennedy said the rise is a result of protections brought in during the coronavirus pandemic coming to an end, and added that renters who have not received enough support are now losing their homes.

She said: “Alongside a further package of financial support, the Government must freeze rents and protect renters from eviction if they’re struggling to stay on top of rent.

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Polly Neate, Chief Executive of housing charity Shelter, said: “Whoever becomes the next Prime Minister needs to get a grip and put ending the housing emergency at the top of their to-do list.”

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities said repossessions are “significantly below pre-pandemic levels.”

A government spokesperson said the government is supporting people facing the pressures of rising costs through a £37 billion package, including a £1,200 payment for the most vulnerable households.

They added the Renters’ Reform Bill will protect tenants by abolishing no-fault evictions and allow them to challenge “poor practice, poor housing standards and unjustified rent increases.”

The figures show total claims by private and social landlords for repossession have also risen significantly – 18,200 were submitted in the latest three months, more than double the 7,000 claims made in the same period last year.

They included 54 in Oxford, up from 18 the year before.

Claims made by private landlords to evict tenants topped pre-pandemic levels for the third successive quarter.

In all, 6,425 claims were made in England and Wales in the three months to June, up from 6,077 during the same period in 2019.

Homelessness charity Crisis said the government needs to open its eyes to the looming crisis facing renters.

It also urged the new prime minister to commit to introducing the Renters’ Reform Bill to protect renters from no-fault evictions, rising rent prices and frozen housing benefits.

Read more from this author

This story was written by Matthew Norman, he joined the team in 2022 as a Facebook community reporter.

Matthew covers Bicester and focuses on finding stories from diverse communities.

Get in touch with him by emailing: Matthew.norman@newsquest.co.uk

Follow him on Twitter: @OxMailMattN1

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