All Mortgage Actions Surge in Early 2025
New data from the Ministry of Justice reveals significant increases in mortgage possession actions across the board between January and March 2025, compared to the same period in 2024:
- Claims up 31% (to 6,765)
- Orders up 53% (to 4,624)
- Warrants up 20% (to 3,517)
- Repossessions up 42% (to 1,092)
This marks a continuation of the upward trend that began in mid-2021. The figures, while still below pre-COVID peaks for warrants and repossessions, show that more homeowners are struggling to keep up with their mortgage payments.
Landlord Possession Orders Up Despite Fewer Claims
Landlord possession trends tell a mixed story:
- Claims down 4% (to 23,976)
- Warrants down 6% (to 10,849)
- Orders up 3% (to 18,713)
- Repossessions up 5% (to 7,308)
The drop in claims is mainly due to fewer actions by private and accelerated landlords. However, social landlord claims remain stable, and actual repossessions continue to rise, with London still seeing the greatest volume.
Time to Repossess a Mortgage Is Getting Shorter
There’s some improvement in court efficiency for mortgage repossessions:
- Claim to repossession now takes 40.3 weeks (down from 46.1 weeks)
- Claim to warrant takes 30.4 weeks (down from 36.6 weeks)
- Claim to order has slightly risen to 9 weeks
This reflects ongoing efforts by courts to clear pandemic-era backlogs and speed up possession cases.
Landlord Repossession Times Get Longer
In contrast to mortgage cases, landlord repossessions are taking longer:
- Median time from claim to repossession is now 26.1 weeks (up from 24.1)
- Claim to order remains steady at 8.3 weeks
- Claim to warrant has dropped slightly to 15.9 weeks
This may reflect more complex cases or delays in enforcement processes for tenanted properties.
London Still a Hotspot for Landlord Cases
London continues to dominate landlord possession activity:
- 33% of all claims (7,802) and 33% of orders (6,141) were in the capital.
- The number of landlord warrants in London dropped 16%, but London still saw more than any other region (3,604).
The capital also had six of the ten highest local authority rates for private landlord possession claims, led by Barking & Dagenham.
Social Landlord Claims: Stratford-on-Avon Tops the List
- Stratford-on-Avon recorded the highest rate of social landlord claims: 759 per 100,000 households.
- Enfield and Kingston upon Thames followed closely behind.
- In contrast, Neath Port Talbot had the lowest rate of social landlord claims at 8.3 per 100,000.
Regional Repossession Rates: North East and London Dominate
- Hartlepool recorded the highest mortgage repossession rate (99 per 100,000 mortgaged households).
- Newham led private landlord repossessions (346 per 100,000).
- Castle Point had the highest social landlord repossession rate (341 per 100,000).
Notably, 44 local authorities had zero mortgage repossessions during this period, showing the disparity in housing stress across the country.
Methodology Update Gives Sharper Local Insight
Since late 2022, possession rates are calculated based on the number of households by tenure type rather than total households, allowing for more precise comparisons between private, social, and mortgaged homes.
Advice Services Still Available
Tenants and homeowners facing eviction can access free legal help through the Housing Loss Prevention Advice Service (HLPAS), regardless of income. The service supports anyone who has received written notice to leave their home.
What’s Next?
- The next update will be published 14 August 2025
- Users are invited to provide feedback on the bulletin and interactive data tools via CAJS@justice.gov.uk
Final Word from the Statistician
“Mortgage possession actions continue to rise sharply, with increases across all regions. Landlord claims have dipped slightly, but repossessions continue to edge upwards. Court timeliness improvements in mortgage cases contrast with slower landlord proceedings, suggesting growing pressure in both sectors.”