Croydon residents living in privately rented accommodation are some of the most at-risk of facing eviction, the latest data from the Ministry of Justice suggests.
In Q1 2025, there were 186 private landlord repossession claims in the borough, the most amongst local authorities in England and Wales.
A private landlord repossession claim is when a private landlord initiates legal action to regain possession of a property from a tenant.
A spokesperson for Croydon Council said: “Croydon, like many areas, faces serious housing pressures.
“Over 8,600 households are on the housing waiting list and more than 3,600 are in temporary accommodation.
“That’s why we always aim to support people early and help them explore every option available.”
Croydon sits third amongst local authorities for the highest rate of private landlord claims per 100,000 households owned by a private landlord.
Barking and Dagenham has the highest rate with 671, followed by Redbridge and Croydon with 488 and 472 claims per 100,000 households respectively.
However, actual repossessions in Croydon are up 6.6% year-on-year.
In the same period, repossessions doubled in Newham and more than doubled in Ealing, Redbridge, Waltham Forest, and Barking and Dagenham.
According to the spokesperson, Croydon Council received 1,608 Section 21 notices, which start the legal process to end an assured shorthold tenancy, in the last year.
They added: “While this hasn’t led to a noticeable rise in enquiries specifically about housing costs or repossessions, we know there is ongoing demand for help from residents who are at risk of losing their homes.”
Moving on to social housing providers, such as local councils and housing associations, the statistics paint a different picture.
Social landlord repossession claims in Croydon are down more than 22% year-on-year, whilst repossessions have dropped from 27 to 17.
Lewisham and Greenwich have seen repossessions drop by three and 10, but claims are up by more than 26% and 19% respectively.
North London borough Enfield has seen social landlord repossession claims rise more than 200% year-on-year.
The Croydon Council spokesperson said: “Our homelessness prevention team works directly with residents to explore realistic housing options, provide financial advice, and speak with landlords where possible.
They added: “If someone has to leave their home, we offer advice to help them take the next steps.”
Featured Image Credit: Allan Vega on Unsplash
