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Thousands of renters could lose their homes in the coming months as the cost-of-living crisis deepens, according to figures.
A ban on evictions was put in place during the pandemic to protect vulnerable tenants but those measures were lifted last summer and evictions are rising.
Since then, councils have evicted more than 1,000 tenants from local authority-owned or managed properties because of rent arrears, according to figures obtained by Sky News under the Freedom of Information Act.
That is nearly four households each day.
Read more: Housing fears damaging young people’s mental health and affecting life decisions
The real number is likely to be far greater than this, as most former council properties are managed by housing associations, who are not obliged by law to publish eviction figures.
More than 14,000 landlords started court proceedings to evict tenants from their properties between October and December 2021, according to the Ministry of Justice.
‘I just went into shock and sheer panic’
Sarah lives in Poole, Dorset with two of her three daughters.
In January, the 54-year-old single mother was served with a section 21 notice, meaning she had to find another home with two months of receiving the letter.
She had done nothing wrong, but the landlady wanted the property back and threatened to evict them if the family did not move in time.
“I came home one day and on the doormat was a hand-delivered letter. I almost immediately knew because nobody hand-delivers letters to me.
“I read it and my heart sank. I just went into shock and sheer panic about where on earth are we going to live?”*
With fuel bills set to rise, inflation at its highest point in almost 30 years and private rental prices increasing, Sarah worries she will not be able to afford to find somewhere else to live.
“The kind of rents we are looking at…
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Source : skynews
