Housing statistics 2019: key trends summary

Local Authority Evictions

There were 1,440 tenancy terminations (evictions and abandonments) in 2018-19, a decrease of 1% or 20 on 1,460 in 2017-18. Of the 1,440 tenancy terminations in 2018-19, 96% (1,378) were due to rent arrears – a similar proportion to 2017-18 (96%). 

The diagram below (Figure A) illustrates the numbers of actions taken in against local authority tenants in 2018-19. There were 29,245 notices of proceedings issued in 2018-19. Of these, 8,259 proceeded to court, with 3,688 court orders being granted; 1,440 tenancies were terminated through an eviction or abandonment of the dwelling.

Figure A: A total of 29,245 notice of proceedings were issued in 2018-19 with 1,440 dwellings evicted or abandoned in the same year

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 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 each year up to 9,648 in 2017-18 but a decrease in 2018-19 to 8,259.

The number of cases resulting in an eviction order also fell from 10,558 in 2001-02 to 2,728 in 2013-14, but then increased to 4,248 in 2016-17. However, in 2017-18 the number fell to 4,133, falling again in 2018-19 to 3,688.

Local authority tenancy terminations (i.e. evictions plus abandoned dwellings) as a result of eviction actions have decreased in the latest year. There were 1,440 such evictions or abandonments in 2018-19 which equates to 0.5% of normal letting stock, down from 3,093 (0.6% of normal letting stock) in 2001-02.

Chart 16: Evictions against local authority tenants in 2018-19 showed 14% less cases proceeding to court, 11% less cases resulting in an eviction order and 1% less cases resulting in abandoned dwelling

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 each year since, up to 28,849 in 2018-19. The number of rent arrears cases taken to court has decreased by 13% from 9,503 in 2017-18 to 8,259 in the latest year. The number of tenancy terminations for rent arrears (evictions and abandonments) has decreased by 2% this year from 1,401 to 1,378. As almost all eviction actions are for rent arrears, similar changes can be observed for the number of eviction actions overall.

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 2018-19, Perth & Kinross had the highest eviction/abandoned dwelling rate at 0.9% of letting stock whilst Orkney had the lowest at 0%.

Chart 17: In 2018-19 Perth & Kinross had the highest proportion of evictions or abandonments as a percentage of normal letting stock at 0.9%

Link to tables on local authority evictions: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/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.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Housing-Regeneration/RefTables