Housing statistics 2017: key trends summary

Local Authority Evictions

There were 1,421 tenancy terminations (evictions and abandonments) in 2016-17, an increase of 9% or 121 on 1,300 in 2015-16. Of the 1,421 tenancy terminations in 2016-17, 93% (1,318) were due to rent arrears – a similar proportion to 2015-16 (95%).

The diagram below (Figure A) illustrates the numbers of actions taken in against local authority tenants in 2016-17. There were 26,860 notices of proceedings issued in 2016-17.9,478 proceeded to court, with 4,248 court orders being granted. 1,421 tenances were terminated through an eviction or abandonment of the dwelling.

Figure A: Action taken against council tenants in 2016-17

Pre-action requirements to strengthen the protection of tenants facing eviction for rent arrears came into force on 1 ^st August 2012. Pre-action requirements require social landlords to have exhausted all attempts to resolve the arrears with the tenant before taking action to evict. The changes have therefore generally had a much bigger effect on the early stages of an eviction action (notice of proceedings issued) than on the later stages.

Chart 16: Eviction actions against local authority tenants, 2001-02 to 2016-17

Chart 16 shows there were large reductions in the number of actions against local authority tenants proceeding to court from 28,301 in 2001-02 to 7,127 in 2013-14. This was followed by increases from to 8,857 in 2014-15, to 9,478 in 2016-17. The number of cases resulting in an eviction order also fell from 10,558 in 2001-02 to 2,728 in 2013-14, but has since increased to 4,248 in 2016-17. Local authority tenancy terminations ( i.e. evictions plus abandoned dwellings) as a result of eviction actions have also increased in the latest year. There were 1,421 such terminations in 2016-17 which equates to 0.5% of normal letting stock, down from 3,093 (0.6% of normal letting stock) in 2001-02. Within this, the number of evictions of local authority tenants is 927, which equates to 10% of all cases proceeding to court.

The 56% reduction in the number of notices of proceedings issued for rent arrears cases between 2011-12 and 2014-15 (from 51,886 to 23,009) has been followed by increases in 2015-16 and 2016-17, to 26,488. The number of rent arrears cases taken to court has increased by 7% from 8,761 to 9,397 in the latest year. The number of tenancy terminations for rent arrears (evictions and abandonments) has increased by 7% this year from 1,235 to 1,318. As almost all eviction actions are for rent arrears, similar changes can be observed for the number of eviction actions overall.

Chart 17: Abandoned properties and evictions, as a percentage of normal letting stock, 2016-17

Chart 17 shows that across local authorities there is considerable variation in the rate of evictions or abandoned dwellings in relation to normal letting stock levels. In 2016-17, East Ayrshire had the highest eviction/abandoned dwelling rate at just under 1% of letting stock. Orkney had no evictions or abandonments in 2016-17. Link to tables on local authority evictions: http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Housing-Regeneration/HSfS/StockManagement

Section 11 legislation gives local authorities early notice of households at risk of homelessness due to eviction and places a duty on landlords (except local authority landlords) and creditors to notify the relevant local authority when they raise proceedings for possession or serve certain other notices. Statistics on this can be found on the Scottish Government website: http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Housing-Regeneration/RefTables