evictions due to rent arrears: a comparative analysis of evictions in 14 countries

EUROPEAN RESEARCH CONFERENCE

Housing First. What’s Second?

Berlin, 20th September 2013

Evictions due to rent arrears A Comparative Analysis of

Evictions in 14 countries

Susanne Gerull Alice Salomon University of Applied Sciences

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Research Questions

Rent arrears are one of the most

important reasons to be evicted. Comparing 14

European countries I wanted to find out:

Are there differences in

the problem’s dimension?

the legal basis?

the preventive measures?

Are there national strategies to prevent evictions?




Research Design

1. Checking all country reports and

comparative articles provided by FEANTSA &

EJoH-articles using keywords like “rent

arrears”, “evict...” etc.

2. Compilating the findings using a standardised

questionnaire for each country

3. Requesting experts for completion, updates

and comments

4. Analysing and comparing the data




Housing

0,0%

5,0%

10,0%

15,0%

20,0%

25,0%

30,0%

35,0%

40,0%

45,0%

AT BE CZ DK FI FR DE IE NL PL PT ES SE UK

Housing in %

Rented dwellings (% of population) Social rental dwellings (% of housing market

Data from 2009




Housing

0,00%

0,20%

0,40%

0,60%

0,80%

1,00%

1,20%

AT DK FI FR NL PL SE UK

Eviction Rates in %

% of households % of rented dwellings

Numbers of evictions decreased in AT, PL, SE

and increased in FI, FR (available Data 2011) Data from 2009




Housing: Connections

A statistical computation showed that

a high rate of rented dwellings does not lead to

a high rate of evictions per households (r=0,175 / very weak correlation)

a high %age of social rental dwellings doesn‘t

increase the risk of evictions (r=0,36 / weak correlation)

The findings have to be interpreted

very carefully because of the few

countries providing data about evictions




Legal Conditions

Legal conditions for an application to court

and a court decision are very different 1 to 3 months of rent arrears necessary

In some countries the legal procedure depends on the

type (e. g. in England) or length (e. g. IE) of tenancy

Only a few countries provide a „protection period“

(regulation of rent arrears makes the notice to quit

legally void), e. g. DE, NL, PT, SE




Evictions

In most countries the procedure of the evictions is

regulated by law. Present at the eviction is usually

The bailiff, the landlord (or representative), a locksmith, a

removal firm and sometimes the police

Special regulations/policies:

„Moratoire hivernal“ in France (no evictions in winter)

Evictions for rent arrears only by providing substitute

accomodation in Poland

No evictions of children in Sweden




Preventive Measures (1)

In a lot of countries municipalities has to be

informed when someone is threatened by

eviction: e. g. AT, BE, DK, FI, DE, SE, and UK

(Scotland)

In most of the cases this is regulated by law

Pro-active support usually is provided e. g. in

AT, FR, DE and NL Often by NGOs

sometimes only for tenants in social housing (e. g.

BE, CZ)





In some countries public authorities can

regulate rent arrears to avoid evictions,

e. g. in AT, DK, FR, DE, PT and SE

In some countries this is only possible

in some regions (BE, ES)

in special cases (children/disabilities etc.)





7 of 14 surveyed countries have

national strategies incl. preventive measures

(DK, FI, FR, NL, PT, SE, UK), 1 country only on

local levels (ES)

Preventive strategies are mostly a part of a wider

strategy against homelessness and include e. g.

The aim of a decrease of evictions (e. g. NL, SE)

Regulations for better cooperations (e. g. FI)

a budget (e. g. DK)




Comprehensive Findings Procedures and the process in general are complicated

for the tenants in almost all countries

„Good practice“ doesn‘t mean to have a strategy (AT, PL)

Strong legal protection of tenants and people in need

doesn‘t lead to a strategy avoiding evictions (DE)

„National programme“ doesn‘t mean sufficient

possibilities to avoid evictions (DK)

National programmes don‘t lead necessarily to reduced

numbers of evictions (FI, FR)

Differences among the surveyed countries are

significant but causal connections ill-advised




Conclusions 1. Preventive strategies have to include

A legal framework protecting tenants and people in

need

A sufficient budget

Housing advisory and counselling services

Enough affordable housing

2. Strategies have to be coordinated between the

departments for housing and social affairs

3. Local strategies have to be coordinated within a

national strategy




References / Support

A list with all (published) references can be requested:

[email protected]

Many thanks to: Assistant for collecting information: Svenja Ketelsen

Experts: Austria: Heinz Schoibl / Renate Kitzmann

Belgium: Pascal De Decker / Thijs Callens Czech: Jiří

Růžička / Dominika Najvert Denmark: Lars Benjaminsen

Finland: Taina Hytönen France: Claire Lévy-Vroelant

Ireland: Eoin O’Sullivan Poland: Magdalena Mostowska

Portugal: Isabel Baptista Sweden: Sten-Åke Stenberg UK:

Nicholas Pleace Other facilitators: Austria: Marc Diebäcker

Germany: Volker Busch-Geertsema FEANTSA: Suzannah

Young

evictions due to rent arrears: a comparative analysis of evictions in 14 countries

News & Politics

european countries

social housing

winter evictions

evictions of children

decrease of evictions

numbers of evictions

housing market data

research questions