Mortgage possession claims fall while landlord claims rise
Mortgage possession claims fell in the Q2, while landlord possession claims increased compared with the same period a year earlier, according to figures published by the Ministry of Justice.
The figures showed contrasting trends across the housing market, with mortgage possession activity down across claims, orders, warrants and repossessions, while landlord claims rose overall.
Timeliness measures also diverged, with the median time from claim to mortgage repossession increasing, while the equivalent landlord measure fell slightly.
Mortgage possessions down 20%
Compared with the same quarter in 2025, mortgage possession claims fell from 6,539 to 5,232, a decrease of 20%. Mortgage orders for possession fell by 17% to 3,651, warrants issued were down 18% to 3,101, and repossessions declined by 14% to 1,008.
The median average time from claim to mortgage repossession increased to 49.1 weeks, up from 42.9 weeks in the same period in 2025. The Ministry of Justice said this was the highest level since the fourth quarter of 2023.
The next step towards a better home buying journey
Sponsored by Halifax Intermediaries
The fall in mortgage claim and order volumes was observed in courts across most geographical regions. Westminster recorded the highest overall rate of mortgage claims, at 344 per 100,000 households owned with a mortgage or loan.
London boroughs accounted for eight of the 10 local authorities with the highest rate of mortgage claims. Fylde had the lowest rate among local authorities that recorded mortgage possession claims, at 9.5 per 100,000 households owned with a mortgage or loan. One local authority recorded no mortgage possession claims during the period.
Westminster also had the highest overall rate of mortgage repossessions, at 65 per 100,000 households owned with a mortgage or loan. Local authorities in London accounted for three of the 10 areas with the highest rate of mortgage repossessions. No repossessions by county court bailiffs were recorded in 47 of the 318 local authorities during the period.
Claim to warrant median timeliness had increased by 5.4 weeks, while claim to repossession median timeliness had increased by 6.3 weeks compared to the same quarter last year.
Landlord possession increased, but no link to RRA established
Landlord possession claims increased from 22,352 to 23,635 compared with the same quarter in 2025, a rise of 6%. Within landlord possession actions, accelerated claims rose by 16% and private landlord claims increased by 5%, while social landlord claims fell by 3%.
Landlord possession claims had generally increased from the second quarter of 2021, peaking at 25,402 in the third quarter of 2024. They have since fallen overall and stood at 23,635 in the latest quarter.
The median average time from claim to landlord repossession decreased to 27.1 weeks, down from 27.9 weeks in the same period in 2025. Gov.uk said private landlord repossessions saw the largest decrease in timeliness, falling by just under three weeks compared with the previous year.
As in previous quarters, landlord possession activity remained concentrated in London. London courts recorded 7,793 landlord claims and 5,440 landlord orders in the second quarter of 2026, accounting for 33% and 31% of the respective totals. Landlord claims in London were up 2% from 7,610 in the second quarter of 2025, while landlord orders also rose 2% from 5,356.
Landlord warrants fell by 6% compared with the second quarter of 2025, driven by a decrease in London. The capital still recorded the largest regional number of landlord warrants, at 2,993, representing 31% of the total. This was down 20% from 3,744 in the same quarter of 2025.
London boroughs accounted for eight of the 10 local authorities with the highest rate of private landlord claims. One local authority recorded no private landlord claims during the period.
Private landlord repossessions were highest in Barking and Dagenham, at 352 per 100,000 households owned by a private landlord.
The Renters’ Rights Act (RRA) came into force on 1 May 2026. The latest quarterly data covers April to June, including two months of activity after the Act’s implementation. The Ministry of Justice said it was not clear whether the overall fall in landlord repossession-related measures, or changes in other types of claims, could be attributed to the start of the RRA.
