More landlords applying to court to evict tenants in Bedford

These claims are made after an eviction has been served, and the tenants have not left by the end of the notice period. They can result in a county court bailiff repossessing the house.

Ministry of Justice figures covering January to March show there were 104 landlord possession claims made to remove tenants in Bedford – up from 101 in the first three months of 2024.

Of the recent claims, 48 were made by social landlords, 23 by private landlords, and 33 were accelerated claims after 'no-fault' evictions.

Across England and Wales, there were 23,976 landlord possession claims – down 4% from a year earlier.

And there were 7,308 court orders for repossession of a landlord's home by a county court bailiff – a 5% increase. This included 35 bailiff evictions of tenants in Bedford.

Shelter said no-fault evictions, which accounted for about 40% of the landlord repossession by court bailiff this recent quarter, should be scrapped by summer.

Alicia Walker, assistant director of advocacy and activism at Shelter, said: "Thousands of renters are being marched out of their homes because of an unjust policy that should already be history.

"Rents and living costs are spiralling across England and tenants on the lowest pay are keeping hold of their homes by the skin of their teeth.

"Every day our frontline teams hear from families who've been hit with rent increases they just cannot afford - forced to pay up or ship out, with little standing between them and the nightmare of homelessness."

She added the Renters' Rights Bill is the "last chance" to guarantee security for renters.

"If the Government wants the Bill to be truly transformative, it must cap rent increases in line with inflation or wage growth to make renting genuinely safe, secure, and more affordable."

The figures also show there was a 31% increase in mortgage possession claims, with 6,765 in the recent quarter. This included 22 claims for homes in Bedford.

Meanwhile, separate figures from UK Finance, a trade association for the financial services sector, reveal a 7% decrease year on year in homeowner mortgages in arrears.

Adam Butler, public policy manager at StepChange Debt Charity, said it is an "incredibly uncertain time" for mortgage holders as the Bank of England cut the base rate by 0.25%.

He added: "Although overall mortgage arrears remain low, the rise in possessions raises concerns that those already struggling may be especially at risk of falling into problem debt."

A Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government spokesperson said: "We have inherited a serious housing crisis which is why our Plan for Change will deliver seismic reforms alongside our mission to build 1.5 million new homes.

"Our Renters' Rights Bill will deliver a long overdue transformation of private renting by strengthening tenants' rights and security and banning section 21 'no fault' evictions."

They added: "While mortgage arrears are reducing and homeowner repossession levels are well below those seen in previous decades, we understand the concerns of mortgage holders and there are significant safeguards in place to support those who are struggling."

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