Eviction rates and rent arrears fall
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Eviction rates in social housing have dropped over the past four years, according to research from the Tenant Services Authority.
A report by the regulator into how housing associations tackle arrears also found the amount of unpaid rent due to landlords dropped from 5.6 per cent of total rent owed in 2005 to 5.3 per cent in 2007/08.
In 2004/05 housing associations carried out 9,114 evictions, but by 2008/09, there were 7,703. Of these, 95 per cent were because of unpaid rent.
The study found many housing associations are adopting preventative and supportive approaches to rent collection such as employing specialist welfare benefits advisers. Fifty-six per cent are also working with independent debt advisers.
However, the regulator also noted a number of instances where landlords were not yet following government protocol on the process of eviction, by starting legal action without considering all the possible reasons for arrears accruing such as delays in housing benefit payments.
Richard Moriarty, TSA director of policy and market intelligence, said: ‘Overall, housing associations are doing better at tackling rent arrears.
‘There is still room for improvement so that landlords effectively combine collecting the rent with helping people stay in their homes. That’s why our new standards for landlords, which will come into force on 1 April, require landlords to develop and provide services that will support tenants to maintain their tenancy and prevent unnecessary evictions.’
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