There has been a sharp decline in the volume of claims made by private sector landlords to repossess a property over the past two years, new figures show.

According to official statistics published by the Ministry of Justice, the number of possession claims made to county courts in England and Wales by private landlords dropped from a high of 6,486 in the first quarter of 2014 to 5,129 between July and September 2016.

The improvement comes after an independent English Housing Survey published earlier this year found that in 2014-15 private sector tenants had been residing in their existing property for an average of four years.

Reflecting on the data, David Smith, policy director at the Residential Landlords Association (RLA), said that the figures are a timely reminder that “landlords do not seek to re-possess properties lightly”.

“With tenants also living an average of four years in private rented homes, the sector is stepping up to the demand for long term housing without the need for heavy handed legislation,” he added.