Campaigning charity Shelter says new government figures reveal an increasing number of renters are facing eviction. 

And it warns that more renters are likely to lose their homes in the coming months as living costs continue to rise.

The figures show that 14,123 landlords started court proceedings to evict tenants from their properties between October and December 2021, up by 43 per cent on the previous quarter.

The charity claims private landlords are now starting as many court proceedings to evict tenants as they did before the pandemic. A total of 9,410 claims were made to court against tenants in the final quarter of 2021, compared to 9,676 in the same period in 2019.

It states that the eviction ban helped keep many renters safe in their homes during the pandemic. Now this protection has gone, evictions are picking up and renters, who faced job losses and furlough, are struggling even more.

Polling carried out for the charity by YouGov in late 2021, found that 275,000 private renting households had received an eviction notice in the previous month or were behind on their rent. 

This is equivalent to one in 17 private renting households being in real danger of losing their home this winter, Shelter claims.

The survey also shows that some 45 per cent of private renters are more worried about becoming homeless because of the current economic situation and living costs.

Nearly a quarter were behind on their rent or constantly struggling to pay it and nearly a third had to cut back on food for them or their partner in the previous month.