A mother is forced to sleep on the couch with her six children after they are evicted from their home. She says it is NOT their fault and the stress is unimaginable.
Carly and her children were evicted from their four-bedroom home in Enfield, north of London after her landlord raised the rent.
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She was paying £1,900 a month but could no longer afford the rent. rent after it had risen by £100.
The mother of six was granted an eviction order in November last year.
Her landlord then served her with an eviction notice, with only two weeks' notice.
Carly told the BBC: “I might have to sit on the couch. The stress alone is unimaginable.
“I wouldn't do this to anyone. It's a nightmare. You wouldn't want to do this to anyone, it's scary for the kids.”
On Wednesday, the mother had just an hour to put her furniture in a van before the bailiffs locked her out.
She was forced to remove the front door so she could get her refrigerator out of the At home – where her family has lived since 2018.
Carly's children are between seven months and sixteen years old – and some of them have never lived anywhere else.
The mother has borrowed money to store all her belongings – and she still has to wait a long time for a place where the family can live.
Carly's landlord and their agent declined to comment on her case.
Enfield Council said Carly and her family were allocated a room and a social worker within a day.
Section 21 No Fault: What Are Your Rights?
Source: Citizens Advice
- A notice under Article 21 must give you at least 2 months.
- Some tenants are entitled to a longer notice period. For example, 3 months notice if your rent is due every 3 months.
- Section 21 notices are sometimes referred to as “no fault” notices because your landlord does not need a reason for the eviction.
- However, your landlord must comply with the rules in order to use Article 21. For example, he must use the correct form, protect your deposit and provide you with a gas safety certificate.
- All municipal councils must ensure that people no longer become homeless.
- You can ask the municipality for assistance as soon as you receive an Article 21 message.
- If you do not leave within the notice period, your landlord must apply for an eviction notice.
- They are not allowed to change the locks themselves or evict you from your home.
- Once the notice period has expired, your landlord can submit a request to the court for a rent increase.
- In most cases, your landlord must file a request with the court within 6 months of sending you the notice of termination.
- If you are entitled to a longer notice period, your landlord has 4 months from the end date of the notice period.
- The notice of termination will no longer be valid if your landlord does not submit a request to the court within this period.
- This means they will have to send you another notice if they still want you to leave.
What to do if you have become homeless
In England, your local council is obliged to help you if you are legally homeless or will become homeless within the next 8 weeks.
You may be legally homeless if:
- you have no legal right to live in accommodation anywhere in the world
- you cannot enter your house, for example because your landlord has locked you out
- it is not reasonable to stay in your home, for example because you are at risk of violence or abuse
- you are forced to live apart from your family or the people you normally live with because there is no suitable housing for you
- you live in very bad conditions, such as overcrowding
There are different types of support that your local authority can offer you. For example, they can offer you advice, emergency housing, support in finding long-term housing or help to ensure that you can stay in your home.
If you are looking for advice, you can contact a housing association Shelter for advice, Legal advice for citizens for legal assistance and speak to your local council for help.