England · ONS E07000127
West Lancashire is one of England's local authorities.
West Lancashire council housing data (2023-24)
The following figures are reported by West Lancashire to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government as part of the annual Local Authority Housing Statistics return.
| Metric | Value |
|---|
| Housing waiting list (households) | 1,297 |
| Waiting for 1 bedroom | 694 |
| Waiting for 2 bedrooms | 316 |
| Waiting for 3 bedrooms | 248 |
| Waiting for 4+ bedrooms | 39 |
| Council-owned dwellings | 5,798 |
| Social rent dwellings | 5,538 |
| Affordable rent dwellings | 260 |
| Vacant dwellings | 125 |
| Average relet time (days) | 37.4 |
| Lettings to new tenants | 227 |
| Lettings to existing tenants | 114 |
| Council evictions (total) | 2 |
| Evictions for rent arrears | 2 |
| Evictions for anti-social behaviour | 0 |
| Illegal sub-let property recoveries | 1 |
| Average EPC/SAP rating of council stock | C |
| New social rent homes built | 0 |
| New affordable rent homes built | 0 |
Source: DLUHC Local Authority Housing Statistics 2023-24. Last refreshed 2026-04-30.
Arrears, bailiffs and evictions in West Lancashire
Council tax arrears
West Lancashire collected 93.8% of the council tax due in 2025-26, against 95.6% across England. That is the 55th lowest collection rate of 296 English councils. The year before it was 93.8%.
At 31 March 2026, £26.1m of council tax was owed to West Lancashire, equal to about £539 per household (the total divided by the number of households; most households owe nothing). The council added £1.5m in court and administration costs to accounts during the year.
Source: Collection rates for council tax and non-domestic rates in England, 2025 to 2026 (MHCLG). Per-household figures use ONS Census 2021 household counts.
Landlord possession claims
Landlords started 73 possession claims in West Lancashire in the 12 months from Jul 2025 to Jun 2026: 36 by private landlords, 29 by social landlords and 8 under the accelerated procedure. That is 1.5 claims per 1,000 households, against 3.64 across England and Wales.
Courts made 57 possession orders, 37 warrants were issued, and county court bailiffs carried out 27 evictions. In the previous 12 months there were 76 claims and 19 bailiff evictions.
Source: Mortgage and landlord possession statistics: April to June 2026 (Ministry of Justice). Rates per 1,000 households use all households (ONS Census 2021), not only renting ones, so areas with more renters show higher rates. Social landlord claims include claims by the council as a landlord.
What a council tax bailiff can charge
Fees are set by law. For enforcement started on or after 1 May 2026 the fixed fees are £79 for each debt at the compliance stage (from when the bailiff firm gets the case), £247 at the enforcement stage (from the first visit) and £116 at the sale stage, and each of the last two adds 7.5% of the total debt over £1,900. Older cases use £75, £235 and £110, with a £1,500 threshold. Storage and auction costs and VAT can be added. You can check the fees on your account.
A Notice of Enforcement must give you at least 14 clear days before a bailiff can take control of your goods (7 clear days for cases started before 1 May 2026), not counting Sundays and bank holidays, unless a court has ordered a shorter period. If a debt adviser asks for more time before that period ends, the minimum becomes 28 clear days.
Free, confidential help
Do not ignore a Notice of Enforcement. Contact the council as soon as you can: it can agree a payment arrangement and can ask the bailiff to pause.
You can get free debt advice from:
A debt adviser can also check whether you can get Breathing Space (the Debt Respite Scheme), which pauses most enforcement action while it lasts. If you are disabled, seriously ill or finding it hard to cope, tell the bailiff and the council: extra protections apply. If you are struggling to cope, you can call Samaritans free on 116 123.
Published by Deposit Recovery Claims Ltd, which runs The Tenants Voice and a tenancy deposit service. We do not give debt advice and are not paid by any enforcement firm, council or advice service named here.
Local guidance for West Lancashire