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Mortgage Arrears and Repossessions by Council

Mortgage possession claims, court orders and repossessions in England and Wales, with the long-term trend and figures for every local authority. Search your area.

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An IVA is a formal insolvency procedure. It must be approved by your creditors, stays on your credit file for six years, fees are taken from your payments, and debts are only written off if you complete it. It isn’t right for everyone.

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  • Creditors must approve it. An IVA only goes ahead if creditors holding at least 75% of the debt that is voted agree. Your proposal can be rejected.
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  • Fees. Fees are taken from your monthly payments, so less of what you pay reaches your creditors. How IVA fees work.
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Last updated: 30 October 2026 · Latest data: April to June 2026 (provisional), published 13 August 2026 · Compiled by IVA Advice Online from Ministry of Justice official statistics

How often do mortgage lenders take homeowners to court, and how many homes are repossessed? This page brings together the Ministry of Justice figures for every stage of a mortgage possession case in England and Wales: claims, court orders, warrants and repossessions by county court bailiffs. It covers the national trend since 1987 and every local authority, so you can look up your area.

5,232mortgage possession claims in April to June 2026, down 20% on a year earlier
4,491homes repossessed by county court bailiffs in the 12 months to June 2026 (up 9%)
49.1 weeksmedian time from claim to repossession in April to June 2026

Mortgage repossessions: the latest figures

  • Mortgage lenders made 5,232 possession claims in the county courts in April to June 2026, down from 6,539 in the same quarter of 2025 (down 20%).1
  • Courts made 3,651 mortgage possession orders (down 17%). 31% of these were suspended orders, where the borrower can stay in the home if they keep to an agreed payment plan.1
  • Lenders were issued 3,101 warrants of possession (down 18%), and county court bailiffs carried out 1,008 repossessions (down 14%).1
  • Over the 12 months to June 2026 there were 21,059 claims, 15,958 orders, 13,557 warrants and 4,491 repossessions by county court bailiffs. Claims were down 19% on the previous 12 months and repossessions were up 9%.1 (12-month totals are an IVA Advice Online calculation from the quarterly figures.)

Mortgage possession claims and repossessions since 1987

Mortgage possession claims per year, England and Wales
View yearly figures as a table
Mortgage possession actions per year
YearClaimsOrdersWarrantsBailiff repossessionsAll possessions (UK Finance, UK)
202523,94617,58814,3704,6468,430
202423,13814,59512,3553,4816,440
202316,59910,6819,9002,6194,830
202213,2119,6189,2342,8524,610
20218,6363,4242,6367512,250
20205,5533,8113,5451,1572,660
201925,58016,90818,1424,9297,920
201819,50812,57415,7724,1266,750
201719,83612,98016,3364,3867,330
201618,45611,75517,6274,7547,700
201519,85214,01523,2205,59210,220
201441,15129,63941,90011,97620,850
201353,65940,30352,30515,69228,900
201259,87748,06459,04019,72833,900
201173,18159,88765,37125,46337,300
201075,43162,17563,53223,61238,500
200993,53382,89577,46132,45748,900
2008142,741132,79889,74835,79240,000
2007137,725107,50973,89023,83125,900
2006131,24891,18366,06020,96021,000
2005114,73370,96848,51312,79414,500
200476,99346,68733,0427,0748,200
200365,37341,04231,4816,6928,500
200262,86241,78334,3608,80012,000
200165,55548,58936,99811,81318,200
200070,14052,88634,69212,54022,900
199977,81856,976––29,900
199884,83666,055––33,900
199767,07357,156––32,800
199679,85871,203––42,600
199584,17075,258––49,400
199487,95877,681––49,200
1993116,181105,283––58,600
1992142,162126,881––68,600
1991186,649142,905––75,500
1990145,350103,508––43,900
198991,30953,066––15,800
198872,65547,769––18,500
198779,16048,414––26,400

Source: Ministry of Justice, Table 1.1 Claims, orders, warrants and bailiff repossessions cover England and Wales. Warrants and bailiff repossessions are only available from 2000. "All possessions" is UK Finance's count of properties taken into possession across the UK, reproduced in Table 1; it covers all repossessions, not just those carried out by county court bailiffs, so it isn't directly comparable.3

  • Claims peaked at 186,649 in 1991 in the early 1990s. They were 142,741 in 2008 and 23,946 in 2025.1
  • Bailiff repossessions were highest in 2008 (35,792) in the series that starts in 2000. They fell to 2,619 in 2023 (excluding the Covid-19 years), then rose to 4,646 in 2025.1
  • Possession cases almost stopped in 2020 and 2021 during the Covid-19 pandemic, so figures for those years aren't a fair comparison.1

Mortgage possessions by quarter

Mortgage possession claims and bailiff repossessions per quarter, England and WalesClaimsOrdersWarrantsRepossessions
View quarterly figures since 2009 as a table
QuarterClaimsOrdersWarrantsBailiff repossessionsAll possessions (UK Finance, UK)
Q2 2026 (p)5,2323,6513,1011,008–
Q1 2026 (r)5,1873,7423,4421,1062,060
Q4 20254,4493,7323,0931,1401,980
Q3 20256,1914,8333,9211,2372,280
Q2 20256,5394,4213,8041,1662,140
Q1 20256,7674,6023,5521,1032,030
Q4 20246,0814,1673,3189671,720
Q3 20246,5274,0313,1598761,620
Q2 20245,3483,3842,9598691,620
Q1 20245,1823,0132,9197691,480
Q4 20234,3852,6972,2405951,200
Q3 20234,1882,9232,3456351,180
Q2 20233,9912,5292,6796601,200
Q1 20234,0352,5322,6367291,250
Q4 20223,1632,4822,1317351,090
Q3 20223,6812,4802,4737581,300
Q2 20223,4782,3682,4467801,190
Q1 20222,8892,2882,1845791,030
Q4 20212,5701,6501,121313720
Q3 20212,8321,229947390730
Q2 20212,49940052545440
Q1 2021735145433360
Q4 202025529457330
Q3 202010925240380
Q2 2020161146100230
Q1 20205,0283,6113,4661,1501,720
Q4 20196,2594,4453,7981,1491,990
Q3 20196,9834,1744,8841,2092,130
Q2 20196,1803,9934,7061,2561,860
Q1 20196,1584,2964,7541,3151,940
Q4 20185,6493,5824,5791,0511,650
Q3 20184,9043,0993,7269341,590
Q2 20184,4542,8723,5009561,600
Q1 20184,5013,0213,9671,1851,910
Q4 20174,3462,7883,5189931,710
Q3 20174,7593,3664,1961,1971,940
Q2 20175,1863,3324,1831,0681,800
Q1 20175,5453,4944,4391,1281,880
Q4 20164,8022,9523,5781,0041,800
Q3 20164,4852,6854,3531,2121,870
Q2 20164,4303,1014,8481,1831,910
Q1 20164,7393,0174,8481,3552,120
Q4 20154,3482,9254,9761,1482,190
Q3 20155,0123,4406,2551,4232,500
Q2 20154,8493,4265,6461,3632,520
Q1 20155,6434,2246,3431,6583,010
Q4 20147,9415,6348,3212,4344,140
Q3 20149,7317,14110,0672,8054,950
Q2 201410,7737,93911,1213,0285,360
Q1 201412,7068,92512,3913,7096,400
Q4 201312,1479,42612,1573,3986,100
Q3 201314,2569,69713,0393,7337,200
Q2 201312,88110,24613,5294,0877,600
Q1 201314,37510,93413,5804,4748,000
Q4 201214,13111,00813,9744,1557,700
Q3 201214,16810,99314,5574,6768,200
Q2 201214,61512,18414,3734,8258,400
Q1 201216,96313,87916,1366,0729,600
Q4 201116,47113,75715,2295,4818,800
Q3 201118,76315,55216,4097,2749,600
Q2 201118,33914,72416,4036,1709,300
Q1 201119,60815,85417,3306,5389,600
Q4 201017,84715,21714,3744,8988,300
Q3 201020,38416,64816,6905,8989,400
Q2 201018,39514,76316,0715,9279,900
Q1 201018,80515,54716,3976,88910,900
Q4 200918,20817,44215,9676,97611,000
Q3 200924,93823,85020,0578,15712,500
Q2 200926,41921,78320,0878,04012,200
Q1 200923,96819,82021,3509,28413,200

Source: Ministry of Justice, Table 1.1 (p) provisional, (r) revised. UK Finance's figure for Q2 2026 wasn't available when the Ministry of Justice published.

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Mortgage repossessions by council: find your area

The table shows mortgage possession claims and repossessions for every local authority in England and Wales, based on the borrower's address. Counts are for the 12 months to June 2026. The rates are the Ministry of Justice's own figures for April to June 2026, per 100,000 households that own their home with a mortgage or loan, which makes areas of different sizes easier to compare.

Mortgage possession claims and repossessions by local authority, England and Wales (select a column heading to sort)
Local authorityRegionClaims, 12 months to Jun 2026Change on year beforeRepossessions, 12 months to Jun 2026Claims per 100,000 mortgaged homes (Apr–Jun 2026)Repossessions per 100,000 mortgaged homes (Apr–Jun 2026)
AdurSouth East16−45%5340
Amber ValleyEast Midlands33−11%2466
ArunSouth East52−37%236126
AshfieldEast Midlands42−14%75212
AshfordSouth East49−14%4856
BaberghEast of England24−31%84518
Barking and DagenhamLondon97−21%2110410
BarnetLondon166−22%2010718
BarnsleyYorkshire and The Humber97−16%19723
BasildonEast of England76−22%9994
Basingstoke and DeaneSouth East34−46%15314
BassetlawEast Midlands47−30%9770
Bath and North East SomersetSouth West41−23%4350
BedfordEast of England56−32%146417
BexleyLondon111−31%197020
BirminghamWest Midlands515−19%10412323
BlabyEast Midlands25−43%43712
Blackburn with DarwenNorth West58−28%76913
BlackpoolNorth West76−31%359530
Blaenau GwentWales15−53%67839
BolsoverEast Midlands28−10%7649
BoltonNorth West90−36%22579
BostonEast Midlands27−27%612314
Bournemouth, Christchurch and PooleSouth West159−19%358322
Bracknell ForestSouth East40−29%13470
BradfordYorkshire and The Humber278−20%6212129
BraintreeEast of England61+22%3785
BrecklandEast of England30−17%73718
BrentLondon158−11%2212928
BrentwoodEast of England20−43%92635
BridgendWales75−12%158410
Brighton and HoveSouth East97−8%15976
Bristol, City ofSouth West107−22%10477
BroadlandEast of England27−16%86611
BromleyLondon150−18%277012
BromsgroveWest Midlands28+4%4410
BroxbourneEast of England50−26%7717
BroxtoweEast Midlands23−38%3207
BuckinghamshireSouth East198−31%41736
BurnleyNorth West41−35%1111128
BuryNorth West78−25%7918
CaerphillyWales85−8%1610412
CalderdaleYorkshire and The Humber73−26%22744
CambridgeEast of England18–0390
CamdenLondon65−12%714124
Cannock ChaseWest Midlands40+3%5427
CanterburySouth East46−4%51016
CardiffWales106−35%343023
CarmarthenshireWales69−22%195918
Castle PointEast of England410%5690
Central BedfordshireEast of England88−9%16449
CeredigionWales21–37831
CharnwoodEast Midlands46−10%162113
ChelmsfordEast of England60−9%6820
CheltenhamSouth West31−9%4720
CherwellSouth East61−3%97014
Cheshire EastNorth West134−12%23484
Cheshire West and ChesterNorth West102−25%304812
ChesterfieldEast Midlands33−3%12558
ChichesterSouth East36−12%11328
ChorleyNorth West450%10740
City of LondonLondon12–12940
ColchesterEast of England55−33%233232
ConwyWales38−19%56215
CornwallSouth West158−31%446715
CotswoldSouth West24+4%33910
County DurhamNorth East229−9%709633
CoventryWest Midlands120−8%19760
CrawleySouth East50−4%87614
CroydonLondon269−6%5115019
CumberlandNorth West71−18%21699
DacorumEast of England42−26%5530
DarlingtonNorth East42−32%14417
DartfordSouth East62−17%127911
DenbighshireWales32−22%3720
DerbyEast Midlands74−15%21413
Derbyshire DalesEast Midlands23–63813
DoncasterYorkshire and The Humber114−27%347721
DorsetSouth West79−30%13382
DoverSouth East40−2%132222
DudleyWest Midlands99−15%244513
EalingLondon143−33%2910525
East CambridgeshireEast of England24−20%1680
East DevonSouth West33−25%114112
East HampshireSouth East24−50%6466
East HertfordshireEast of England40−34%94118
East LindseyEast Midlands52−7%121097
East Riding of YorkshireYorkshire and The Humber94−25%19727
East StaffordshireWest Midlands43−4%77719
East SuffolkEast of England68+5%146626
EastbourneSouth East39+30%4379
EastleighSouth East40−23%7640
ElmbridgeSouth East48−40%9585
EnfieldLondon129−21%141046
Epping ForestEast of England70−17%49011
Epsom and EwellSouth East15−62%7428
ErewashEast Midlands44−6%6680
ExeterSouth West13−58%5157
FarehamSouth East28−33%4416
FenlandEast of England44−12%0860
FlintshireWales41−44%18509
Folkestone and HytheSouth East34−28%65516
Forest of DeanSouth West31−11%10859
FyldeNorth West15−53%7928
GatesheadNorth East67−37%237416
GedlingEast Midlands47+7%35711
GloucesterSouth West39−35%114511
GosportSouth East18−31%75719
GraveshamSouth East55−25%101318
Great YarmouthEast of England43+48%85728
GreenwichLondon174−1%2819725
GuildfordSouth East77+54%2113028
GwyneddWales33−37%104518
HackneyLondon75−4%1912725
HaltonNorth West50−35%237224
Hammersmith and FulhamLondon53−38%711015
HarboroughEast Midlands22−37%3287
HaringeyLondon80−28%1413310
HarlowEast of England36−10%21120
HarrowLondon96−29%149312
HartSouth East25−22%5520
HartlepoolNorth East38−48%148118
HastingsSouth East35−17%87820
HavantSouth East39−13%43213
HaveringLondon136+6%12796
Herefordshire, County ofWest Midlands57−10%9605
HertsmereEast of England54−25%61137
High PeakEast Midlands16−45%4160
HillingdonLondon94−33%16859
Hinckley and BosworthEast Midlands31−22%107012
HorshamSouth East38−21%10535
HounslowLondon147−12%3015840
HuntingdonshireEast of England38−40%0280
HyndburnNorth West37−33%197040
IpswichEast of England34−24%125631
Isle of AngleseyWales30−32%612428
Isle of WightSouth East62−14%131197
IslingtonLondon48−28%125514
Kensington and ChelseaLondon47−43%710138
King's Lynn and West NorfolkEast of England60+7%115212
Kingston upon Hull, City ofYorkshire and The Humber116−14%2810724
Kingston upon ThamesLondon45−46%8379
KirkleesYorkshire and The Humber170−23%409013
KnowsleyNorth West91+2%1812825
LambethLondon116−8%1010614
LancasterNorth West39−26%9530
LeedsYorkshire and The Humber279−5%486816
LeicesterEast Midlands121−10%1811711
LewesSouth East34+17%5400
LewishamLondon161−15%4012034
LichfieldWest Midlands25−26%4340
LincolnEast Midlands31−37%1011619
LiverpoolNorth West178−35%4911132
LutonEast of England120−28%239027
MaidstoneSouth East72−1%125917
MaldonEast of England25−19%67722
Malvern HillsWest Midlands18−33%25511
ManchesterNorth West171−35%478525
MansfieldEast Midlands30−30%58514
MedwaySouth East143−5%25988
MeltonEast Midlands14–35815
Merthyr TydfilWales35−19%714357
MertonLondon80−28%198512
Mid DevonSouth West22−15%44010
Mid SuffolkEast of England21−22%4227
Mid SussexSouth East49+32%74413
MiddlesbroughNorth East75−1%3412619
Milton KeynesSouth East120−29%201016
Mole ValleySouth East22−12%32525
MonmouthshireWales24−27%52617
Neath Port TalbotWales54−16%137923
New ForestSouth East44−21%125619
Newark and SherwoodEast Midlands42−12%12746
Newcastle upon TyneNorth East93−34%279124
Newcastle-under-LymeWest Midlands38−14%123813
NewhamLondon149−24%2618738
NewportWales56−34%1711219
North DevonSouth West31−11%59118
North East DerbyshireEast Midlands34+6%3740
North East LincolnshireYorkshire and The Humber70−19%249915
North HertfordshireEast of England28−10%2450
North KestevenEast Midlands36−12%9720
North LincolnshireYorkshire and The Humber59−32%17889
North NorfolkEast of England25–312421
North NorthamptonshireEast Midlands138−23%356112
North SomersetSouth West60−32%135616
North TynesideNorth East50−39%204610
North WarwickshireWest Midlands20−20%94523
North West LeicestershireEast Midlands27−36%5386
North YorkshireYorkshire and The Humber183−12%465112
NorthumberlandNorth East92−37%328213
NorwichEast of England33+10%147839
NottinghamEast Midlands125−11%257832
Nuneaton and BedworthWest Midlands57−20%13595
Oadby and WigstonEast Midlands23−18%713714
OldhamNorth West90−17%1910426
OxfordSouth East25−26%5549
PembrokeshireWales29+7%78016
PendleNorth West43−25%1212338
PeterboroughEast of England94−5%5814
PlymouthSouth West94+6%246825
PortsmouthSouth East68−35%177817
PowysWales27−34%44016
PrestonNorth West65−2%1611536
ReadingSouth East72+22%1612316
RedbridgeLondon125−31%2212816
Redcar and ClevelandNorth East50−32%126423
RedditchWest Midlands23−38%7490
Reigate and BansteadSouth East53−36%10679
Rhondda Cynon TafWales102−14%207119
Ribble ValleyNorth West16−30%72312
Richmond upon ThamesLondon62−22%6664
RochdaleNorth West103−13%171047
RochfordEast of England29−19%64615
RossendaleNorth West34−11%47910
RotherSouth East36−3%69810
RotherhamYorkshire and The Humber91−3%197315
RugbyWest Midlands26−30%125637
RunnymedeSouth East33−20%78526
RushcliffeEast Midlands25−24%3416
RushmoorSouth East22−42%7367
RutlandEast Midlands5–2220
SalfordNorth West101−4%157621
SandwellWest Midlands146+1%211126
SeftonNorth West107−22%237011
SevenoaksSouth East40−9%3920
SheffieldYorkshire and The Humber166+15%324922
ShropshireWest Midlands79−16%13478
SloughSouth East83−31%2413246
SolihullWest Midlands71−21%115710
SomersetSouth West148−11%325913
South CambridgeshireEast of England25−26%1140
South DerbyshireEast Midlands41+5%135212
South GloucestershireSouth West74−21%10457
South HamsSouth West19−21%5300
South HollandEast Midlands42−19%1711943
South KestevenEast Midlands36−27%9420
South NorfolkEast of England34−3%84226
South OxfordshireSouth East33−20%4305
South RibbleNorth West40−22%82917
South StaffordshireWest Midlands28−7%93636
South TynesideNorth East54−24%226617
SouthamptonSouth East93−7%189712
Southend-on-SeaEast of England87−1%1010313
SouthwarkLondon111−5%256725
SpelthorneSouth East40−33%105514
St AlbansEast of England32−11%4285
St. HelensNorth West70−5%13628
StaffordWest Midlands34−19%5595
Staffordshire MoorlandsWest Midlands32+14%7478
StevenageEast of England42+50%31240
StockportNorth West116−6%13627
Stockton-on-TeesNorth East94−22%287943
Stoke-on-TrentWest Midlands108−11%327931
Stratford-on-AvonWest Midlands32−38%8616
StroudSouth West36+24%54818
SunderlandNorth East106−29%418040
Surrey HeathSouth East38+6%98222
SuttonLondon70−31%175413
SwaleSouth East64−12%137615
SwanseaWales960%217118
SwindonSouth West80−4%13453
TamesideNorth West89−21%6763
TamworthWest Midlands22−44%7630
TandridgeSouth East45−13%68323
TeignbridgeSouth West46−4%4830
Telford and WrekinWest Midlands55−19%144418
TendringEast of England64−12%129630
Test ValleySouth East39−5%126117
TewkesburySouth West22−8%3628
ThanetSouth East44−30%127113
Three RiversEast of England35−10%76838
ThurrockEast of England117−18%209616
Tonbridge and MallingSouth East43−16%4310
TorbaySouth West54−8%911519
TorfaenWales46+12%1314233
TorridgeSouth West24−4%69614
Tower HamletsLondon95−27%3614143
TraffordNorth West82−15%10663
Tunbridge WellsSouth East37+37%4860
UttlesfordEast of England25−42%4150
Vale of GlamorganWales44−15%96816
Vale of White HorseSouth East28−35%7275
WakefieldYorkshire and The Humber124−18%46556
WalsallWest Midlands108+2%228313
Waltham ForestLondon97−26%169814
WandsworthLondon93−28%15566
WarringtonNorth West80−13%248317
WarwickWest Midlands41+14%5675
WatfordEast of England39−19%2738
WaverleySouth East26−26%2516
WealdenSouth East57+6%8779
Welwyn HatfieldEast of England40−2%116722
West BerkshireSouth East29−24%8329
West DevonSouth West14–1330
West LancashireNorth West45−13%139120
West LindseyEast Midlands24−37%5660
West NorthamptonshireEast Midlands154−6%335815
West OxfordshireSouth East20−33%2360
West SuffolkEast of England56−14%81000
WestminsterLondon103−23%1734465
Westmorland and FurnessNorth West52−21%12430
WiganNorth West109−38%354213
WiltshireSouth West119−6%18555
WinchesterSouth East28−18%8397
Windsor and MaidenheadSouth East56−33%11905
WirralNorth West107−18%204510
WokingSouth East30−27%144214
WokinghamSouth East51−9%11587
WolverhamptonWest Midlands72−17%16728
WorcesterWest Midlands27−13%5618
WorthingSouth East37−14%145213
WrexhamWales33−51%94312
WychavonWest Midlands32−40%4596
WyreNorth West28−53%152814
Wyre ForestWest Midlands50+11%41260
YorkYorkshire and The Humber30−27%3370

Showing all 317 local authorities.

Source: Ministry of Justice, local authority CSV and map CSV.12 12-month totals and the change column are IVA Advice Online calculations; the change is only shown where there were at least 20 claims in the previous 12 months. A further 417 claims and 136 repossessions in the 12 months couldn't be matched to a local authority. Rates are for a single quarter, so they can swing a lot in areas with few cases.

Areas with the most mortgage possession claims

Highest mortgage possession claim rates, April to June 2026
#Local authorityRegionClaims per 100,000 mortgaged homesClaims (Apr–Jun 2026)
1WestminsterLondon34437
2City of LondonLondon2942
3GreenwichLondon19756
4NewhamLondon18739
5HounslowLondon15840
6CroydonLondon15070
7Merthyr TydfilWales14310
8TorfaenWales14217
9CamdenLondon14118
10Tower HamletsLondon14126
Most mortgage possession claims, 12 months to June 2026
#Local authorityRegionClaimsRepossessions
1BirminghamWest Midlands515104
2LeedsYorkshire and The Humber27948
3BradfordYorkshire and The Humber27862
4CroydonLondon26951
5County DurhamNorth East22970
6BuckinghamshireSouth East19841
7North YorkshireYorkshire and The Humber18346
8LiverpoolNorth West17849
9GreenwichLondon17428
10ManchesterNorth West17147
Most repossessions by county court bailiffs, 12 months to June 2026
#Local authorityRegionRepossessionsClaims
1BirminghamWest Midlands104515
2County DurhamNorth East70229
3BradfordYorkshire and The Humber62278
4CroydonLondon51269
5LiverpoolNorth West49178
6LeedsYorkshire and The Humber48279
7ManchesterNorth West47171
8North YorkshireYorkshire and The Humber46183
9WakefieldYorkshire and The Humber46124
10CornwallSouth West44158

Source: Ministry of Justice.1 The City of London has very few mortgaged homes, so its rate is less reliable. Westminster had the highest repossession rate in April to June 2026 (65 per 100,000 mortgaged homes), and 47 of the 317 local authorities had no repossessions by county court bailiffs in that quarter.

Mortgage possessions by region

Mortgage possession claims and repossessions by region, 12 months to June 2026
RegionClaimsChange on year beforeRepossessionsChange on year before
London3,557−21%627+30%
South East3,112−19%651+25%
North West2,653−23%620+5%
East of England2,130−15%340+5%
West Midlands2,046−15%414+10%
Yorkshire and The Humber1,944−16%459+1%
East Midlands1,561−17%345+6%
South West1,558−17%302+14%
Wales1,091−22%260+1%
North East990−27%337−20%

Calculated by IVA Advice Online by adding up local authority figures from the Ministry of Justice.1 London accounted for 17% of the claims that could be matched to an area.

How long does mortgage repossession take?

A repossession doesn't happen quickly. In Q2 2026, the median time from a lender issuing a claim to a repossession by county court bailiffs was 49.1 weeks, up from 42.9 weeks a year earlier. It took a median of 7.7 weeks to get a possession order, 39.4 weeks to reach a warrant, and 10.1 weeks from warrant to repossession.1

Median weeks between stages of a mortgage possession case, England and Wales
PeriodClaim to orderClaim to warrantWarrant to repossessionClaim to repossession
20166.742.97.065.0
20177.035.46.140.3
20187.036.46.946.7
20196.929.06.636.1
20207.028.38.741.9
202116.690.915.3111.8
202210.150.97.168.6
20237.741.18.954.0
20248.334.19.045.3
20258.432.710.044.3
Q2 2026 (p)7.739.410.149.1

Source: Ministry of Justice, Table 3.1 Medians for 2021 and 2022 are inflated by cases paused during Covid-19.

If you're behind on your mortgage, lenders are expected to discuss options such as a payment arrangement before going to court, and many cases end without a repossession. Our guides explain whether you could lose your house in an IVA, how IVAs work for homeowners and getting a mortgage after an IVA.

How many mortgages are in arrears?

Court figures only show cases that reach the courts. UK Finance, the banking trade body, publishes quarterly figures on mortgages in arrears across the UK.3

  • 77,940 homeowner mortgages were in arrears of 2.5% or more of the balance in Q2 2026, 1% fewer than in the previous quarter. That's about 0.89% of all homeowner mortgages.3
  • 8,390 buy-to-let mortgages were in arrears of 2.5% or more (0.44% of buy-to-let mortgages).3
  • 1,150 homeowner and 630 buy-to-let properties were taken into possession in Q2 2026, 14% and 20% fewer than a year earlier.3

About the data

  • Claim: a lender applies to the county court for possession. Order: the court decides; an outright order sets a date to leave, a suspended order lets you stay while you keep to agreed payments. Warrant: the lender asks bailiffs to enforce the order. Repossession: county court bailiffs take possession.2
  • Bailiff repossessions only count homes repossessed by county court bailiffs, not homes taken into possession by other routes, so they are lower than UK Finance's count of all possessions.2
  • Local authority figures are based on the defendant's correspondence address, which is usually but not always the mortgaged property.2
  • Rates per 100,000 households use Census 2021 counts of households that own with a mortgage or loan in each area.2
  • The figures for April to June 2026 are provisional and may be revised in the next quarterly release. They cover England and Wales only.1

Common questions

How many homes are repossessed in England and Wales?

County court bailiffs carried out 4,491 mortgage repossessions in England and Wales in the 12 months to June 2026, up 9% on the year before. In Q2 2026 alone there were 1,008. UK Finance, which counts all properties taken into possession across the UK, not just bailiff repossessions, reported 1,150 homeowner and 630 buy-to-let possessions in Q2 2026. Sources: Ministry of Justice; UK Finance.

Are mortgage repossessions going up?

The picture is mixed. Mortgage possession claims fell from 6,539 in April to June 2025 to 5,232 in April to June 2026 (down 20%), and quarterly repossessions fell 14%. But over the 12 months to June 2026, repossessions by county court bailiffs were higher than in the previous 12 months (IVA Advice Online calculation). Yearly repossessions rose in 2024 and 2025, from 2,619 in 2023 to 4,646 in 2025, but they remain far below the levels seen between 2008 and 2012. Source: Ministry of Justice.

How long does it take to repossess a house?

In Q2 2026 the median time from a lender's court claim to repossession by county court bailiffs was 49.1 weeks, up from 42.9 weeks a year earlier. The median time from claim to a possession order was 7.7 weeks. Many claims never reach repossession because an arrangement is agreed. Source: Ministry of Justice, Table 3.

Which area has the most mortgage repossession claims?

Relative to the number of mortgaged homes, Westminster had the highest rate of mortgage possession claims in Q2 2026, at 344 per 100,000 households with a mortgage. By number, Birmingham had the most claims in the 12 months to June 2026 (515). Source: Ministry of Justice.

How many people are behind on their mortgage?

UK Finance reported 77,940 homeowner mortgages in arrears of 2.5% or more of the balance in Q2 2026, about 0.89% of all homeowner mortgages, plus 8,390 buy-to-let mortgages. Source: UK Finance.

Can I keep my home if I have other debts?

Mortgage and secured loan arrears are treated differently from unsecured debts like credit cards, because the lender can apply to court for possession. Different debt solutions treat your home in different ways. Our guides explain whether you could lose your house in an IVA and how IVAs work for homeowners, including equity release. Free advice is also available from the charities listed below.

Using these statistics

You're welcome to use the figures on this page. Please credit the original source shown for each figure, and link to this page if it helped you find them:

Source: IVA Advice Online, "Mortgage Repossession Statistics", https://ivaadviceonline.com/mortgage-repossession-statistics/

Download the data (CSV) – mortgage possession claims, orders, warrants and repossessions for every local authority in England and Wales, 12 months to June 2026, with Ministry of Justice rates. National yearly and quarterly series (CSV). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Struggling with debt? Free, impartial debt advice is available from StepChange, National Debtline and Citizens Advice. Our guides explain how IVAs, debt management plans, debt relief orders and bankruptcy work, including the downsides of each.
More debt statistics

Sources

  1. Ministry of Justice, Mortgage and landlord possession statistics: April to June 2026 (statistical tables 1 and 3, local authority CSV and map CSV), published 13 August 2026. Figures for April to June 2026 are provisional.
  2. Ministry of Justice, Mortgage and landlord possession statistics: April to June 2026, supporting document (methodology, map information and glossary).
  3. UK Finance, "Mortgage arrears and possessions – Q2 2026", published 13 August 2026. Headline figures quoted with attribution; UK-wide.

This page provides general information, not advice about your circumstances.

Related guides

Will I Lose My House in an IVA? →IVAs for Homeowners →Getting a Mortgage After an IVA →

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