Evictions ‘surging’? The court data tells a very different story

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Evictions ‘surging’? The court data tells a very different story

Claims that evictions are “surging” have become a familiar feature of the housing debate. Campaign groups repeat them in press releases, journalists reproduce them in headlines, and the figures quickly take on a life of their own.

The problem is that eviction statistics are often presented in a way that sounds dramatic but does not fully explain what the numbers actually measure.

When the full set of court data is examined, the picture becomes far more nuanced. In fact, the latest official figures suggest that fewer eviction cases were started in 2025 than in the previous year, even though some enforcement activity increased.

Understanding why requires a look at how eviction statistics are recorded in the first place.

If the eviction crisis narrative were correct, possession claims should be rising. The official statistics show they are not.

The eviction pipeline most headlines ignore

The Ministry of Justice publishes quarterly possession statistics covering England and Wales. These figures track the progress of eviction cases through the court system.

There are four key stages:

1. Possession claim issued
2. Possession order granted
3. Warrant issued
4. Repossession carried out by county court bailiffs

Each stage represents a different step in the legal process.

The important point is that cases take time to move through this pipeline. A landlord might issue a possession claim today, but the final repossession could take many months to reach the statistics.

According to the Ministry of Justice, the median time from claim to repossession is now roughly 27 weeks, and that does not include the notice period that precedes a court claim.

In other words, eviction statistics are not a single moment in time. They are the outcome of decisions taken many months earlier.

What the latest data actually shows

When the official figures are examined across the whole pipeline, an interesting pattern emerges.

In 2025:

• Possession claims fell compared with 2024, meaning fewer new eviction cases entered the courts.
• Possession orders and warrants also declined.
• Bailiff repossessions increased slightly in some quarters.

At first glance that combination can look contradictory. If repossessions are rising, surely that must mean landlords are evicting more tenants, but in reality, the statistics suggest something quite different. When early stages of the pipeline fall but the final stage rises, the usual explanation is that courts are enforcing older cases that were already in the system. The repossessions recorded today often reflect claims issued six to nine months earlier.

The statistical illusion behind eviction headlines

This timing effect creates a statistical illusion.

Campaign groups and media reports often focus on the final stage of the process, bailiff repossessions, because it represents the moment a tenant actually leaves the property.

Those numbers can rise even while the number of new eviction cases is falling.

That distinction is rarely explained in headlines, yet it is crucial for understanding what is really happening in the private rented sector.

Possession claims are the leading indicator of landlord behaviour; they show when landlords begin eviction proceedings.

Repossessions are a lagging indicator, reflecting decisions made months earlier.

When fewer claims are being issued but repossessions increase slightly, it normally indicates a backlog of older cases being completed rather than a surge in new eviction activity.

Where the Renters’ Rights Act fits in

The timing of the latest statistics also overlaps with the period following Royal Assent of the Renters’ Rights Act. Some commentators have suggested that landlords may be rushing to evict tenants before the reforms take effect. That behaviour may exist in individual cases, but the broader court data does not yet show a wave of new eviction claims entering the system. If anything, the opposite pattern appears in the figures for 2025.

Looking beyond the headlines

None of this means that eviction is not a serious issue for the households affected. Losing a home is always disruptive and distressing. What it does mean is that the statistics deserve careful interpretation.

Housing debates are often shaped by powerful narratives. Yet when the full dataset is examined, the picture can look very different from the headline version.

The most revealing indicator is not how many repossessions happened at the end of the process, but how many new cases entered the courts in the first place. In 2025, that number went down.

When fewer eviction cases are entering the courts but more older cases are being enforced, the statistics can easily create the impression of a surge even when the underlying pipeline is shrinking.

That leaves an obvious question. If the eviction crisis narrative were accurate, why are fewer new possession claims entering the court system?

Are eviction statistics being misunderstood, selectively presented, or deliberately framed to create a more dramatic picture than the full dataset supports?

Property118 readers are well used to scrutinising housing policy claims, so how do you interpret the figures?

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Problem tenants can actually help you sell faster: how changing the narrative can get the highest prices for your properties

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Problem tenants can actually help you sell faster: how changing the narrative can get the highest prices for your properties

We’ve all been there, most landlords think a “difficult” tenant kills a sale. But in reality, handled correctly, they can help drive the price up.

Amidst the noise, the regulation changes, the red tape and the headlines predicting doom and gloom, landlords across the North West are still selling. And not only selling, but selling quickly, at strong prices, with complete certainty.

Right now, despite the Renters’ Right Act creeping in, we’re seeing buy-to-let properties and portfolios sit stagnant on the market for months with unrealistic asking prices. Why? Landlords are holding out for yesterday’s market. Others are paralysed by compliance worries, damp reports, and in the worst cases: tenants.

Meanwhile, for the 80 landlords per week coming to us to sell, they’re exiting cleanly and profitably.

At Landlord Sales Agency, we specialise exclusively in helping motivated landlords sell, particularly those with freehold houses across the North West, where demand remains strong and buyer appetite is rising.

Unlike traditional agents who inflate asking prices to win your instruction, we position properties strategically to draw serious buyers in. Lower, intelligent pricing creates urgency. Urgency creates multiple offers. Multiple offers create bidding wars, and bidding wars push prices up. What’s more, we move fast. Super fast. All our properties sell on average in under 28 days.

But what if you have tenants who won’t allow access? Perhaps you have tenants that are determined to stay, or feel anxious about viewings?

Recently, a landlord approached us with properties to sell in St Helens, and one in particular looked, on paper, impossible. The tenants were determined to remain in situ and initially refused access for viewings. Many landlords would have backed away or entered into conflict, many estate agents or auctions would be up against it, bracing for the process to take months.

But at Landlord Sales Agency, we know exactly how to deal with tenants. In fact, getting them to come on side is one of the things we do best.

Through careful communication and our team of experts who specialise in conflict resolution, we discovered the tenants had already identified a potential buyer two doors down who’d be interested in keeping them on. That vital piece of information, from getting the tenants to open up, was the catalyst to the sale.

We jumped on it straight away, welcoming the potential buyer into the property. But it wasn’t straightforward. At first, the tenants wouldn’t let anyone else in for viewings whilst they had this buyer lined up, but we knew how to make them feel at ease, allowing access and in turn pushing the price up by letting other buyers compete in a bidding war. The result was a huge success. The property sold to the buyer the tenants wanted, at the price the landlord wanted, and everyone was happy.

This isn’t just a one-off. We do this time and time again. And we’re the best in the UK to do it. No other company is getting tenants to work with them in the way we’re doing it. At Landlord Sales Agency, we’re working alongside tenants to not only get properties sold, but to leverage their local connections to get the properties sold for a price even higher than expected.

It’s why finding the right company to sell your properties matters more than anything else. And we’re the ones delivering.

Whilst landlords still need to be realistic on price – we typically achieve between 85 and 90% market value – our results significantly outperform auctions or estate agents while still delivering speed and certainty. It’s no coincidence that’s linked to a strategically lower listing price. And because we manage everything, from compliance updates to identifying what truly needs refurbs or repairing and what doesn’t, landlords avoid wasting money and go straight to the sale.

Money in the bank. No fuss. No hassle. No fees. No problem.

So if you have properties situated in the North West that are freehold houses around the £200k mark, with or without tenants, we’re ready to sell them.

There’s still a strong window of opportunity in this market, but the time to act is now.

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Limited company landlords hold three times more properties

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Property118

Limited company landlords hold three times more properties

Landlords using limited companies now control portfolios that are more than three times larger than those holding rented property in their own name, research reveals.

According to Pegasus Insight, this highlights a widening structural split across the private rented sector.

The data shows that 21% of landlords operate at least part of their portfolio through a limited company.

The firm’s latest Landlord Trends report indicates that incorporation has edged upward rather than accelerating sharply.

Limited company landlords hold an average of 15.9 properties, while individual landlords, by comparison, manage 4.9 on average.

Incorporated landlord portfolios

The firm’s founder and chief executive, Mark Long, said: “This isn’t about a sudden surge into incorporation, but about a steady structural divergence.

“Limited company landlords are operating at a different scale, with different funding models and different levels of engagement in the market.

“They tend to run larger, more leveraged and often more complex portfolios, which naturally creates a different risk profile and a different set of support needs.”

He added: “For lenders and policymakers, this is important, as it shows the PRS is no longer a single, uniform market.

“Ownership structure is becoming an increasingly important lens through which to understand landlord behaviour, resilience and even future supply.”

Rely on BTL finance

The research also shows that finance arrangements differ too with 69% of incorporated landlords are relying on buy to let mortgage borrowing.

For landlords holding personal assets, the ratio is 57%.

Also, 35% of limited company landlords own at least one House in Multiple Occupation, compared with 17% among individual landlords.

Work full or part-time

The firm has also found that among landlords operating through companies, 27% identify as full- or part-time.

For landlords holding property in their own name, the figure is 14%.

When it comes to setting rents, three quarters of limited company landlords increased rents in the past year, compared with 61% of individual landlords.

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After 30 Years in Property, One Strategy Still Leads for Cashflow

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After 30 Years in Property, One Strategy Still Leads for Cashflow

Over three decades of investing have taught Simon Zutshi one clear lesson. If your goal is strong, consistent monthly income, not all strategies are equal.

Buy-to-lets can work. Flips can create chunks of cash. But when it comes to reliable cashflow, HMOs continue to stand out.

As the founder of property investors network, Simon has seen Houses of Multiple Occupation transform investors’ results when structured correctly

Why HMOs Can Be So Powerful

A standard rental property produces one stream of income.

An HMO produces several.

Multiple tenants under one roof means multiple rent payments. When sourced carefully, set up compliantly and managed professionally, this can significantly increase monthly cashflow compared to traditional single lets

For some investors, that uplift in income has meant replacing their employed earnings far sooner than expected

So Why Doesn’t Everyone Do Them?

Because most investors assume HMOs are too complicated

Licensing.
Planning.
Multiple tenants.
Management systems.

Yes, HMOs are more advanced.

But advanced does not mean impossible. It means structured.

With the right guidance, the process becomes clear. You understand the rules, the numbers and the risks before you commit. And you decide whether this strategy genuinely fits your goals.

Free 3 Part HMO Series

Rather than dismissing HMOs based on assumptions, Simon has created a free three-part video series explaining:

• Why HMOs can generate strong cashflow
• Why most investors avoid them
• How they can be funded, including approaches many overlook
• And how to decide if this strategy is right for you

The training is practical, direct and based on 30 years of real-world experience.

It is completely free to access.

If you are serious about building income from property in 2026 and beyond, this is an opportunity to properly understand one of the most powerful cashflow strategies available.

Do not rule it out without looking at it properly.

Register now and watch the free HMO video series before access closes.

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