Official statistics from the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) covering April to June show a 22% increase in mortgage possession claims compared to the same period last year, with orders up by 31%, warrants up 28% and repossessions by country court bailiffs up 32%.
The government figures paint a less favourable picture than mortgage arrears and possessions data released by UK Finance last week, which suggested a resilient housing market.
London boroughs accounted for five of the 10 local authorities with the highest rate of mortgage claims, with the highest overall rate of repossessions in Westminster, with 354 per 100,000 households owned by a mortgage or loan. Kensington and Chelsea follows, with 304 per 100,000, and Hartlepool with 226.
‘Mortgage possession claims have generally risen since Q2 2021 and continue to rise in the latest quarter’, the MoJ said in a statement accompanying the figures.
“Claims and orders are now 6% and 11% above the volume in Q2 2019 respectively, whereas, warrants and repossession volumes are 20% and 9% below the Q2 2019 volume respectively.
“Mortgage possession claims fell from a peak of 26,419 in April to June 2009 (in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crash) before stabilising in 2015. In the most recent quarter, Q2 2025, there were 6,537 claims for possession, up 22% from the same quarter in 2024.
“Orders and warrants for possession have followed a similar trend to mortgage claims. Compared to the same quarter in 2024, orders are up 31% to 4,429 and warrants are up 28% to 3,787 in Q2 2025.”
The full data set can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/mortgage-and-landlord-possession-statistics-april-to-june-2025/mortgage-and-landlord-possession-statistics-april-to-june-2025#main-points
