Our landlord gave us an eviction notice just before Christmas and now three of our four children share a room

A FATHER has revealed how him and his wife were left devastated after being served an eviction notice weeks ahead of Christmas.

Trevor and Tnaesha Twohig were told in November they had just two months to find a new after being issued a Section 21 notice.

The couple are one of thousands of households who have been handed in the last 15 months ahead of a ban later this year.

Trevor and Tnaesha, 44 and 34, from Ashford, , scrambled to find a new place to live with their four kids in the same town, moving in last month.

But the new property means three of the children, aged seven, five and four, are having to share one bedroom while for all four are now miles further away.

Trevor said: “It was absolutely devastating to receive the section 21 (notice).

“Knowing how hard it is to find accommodation and the possibility of uprooting our children around was anxiety-inducing.

“Our children are our priority so for them to be far further away from school and away from friends was extremely sad for us.”

Issues for Trevor and Tnaesha started after their landlord asked for an increase in of £200 a month – from £1,550 to £1,750.

They agreed, on the basis they could stay in the property for a year, but after deliberation the landlord said he would be selling the home due to “personal reasons”.

The couple said they have since been told by a friend their old property has gone on the market for £2,200 a month – £450 more than the increased rate they had agreed to pay.

Trevor and Tnaesha, both , said they lived there for three and a half years, with the landlord never flagging any issues.

They made it clear their finances were in relatively good order, but the eviction had taken a toll on them emotionally.

Trevor said: “I wouldn't say I was struggling (financially).

“But obviously having four children, the extra rent was manageable but a challenge.

“It was very upsetting for my wife and it made her very emotional. There were definitely a few sleepless nights.”

It wasn't just being served with the Section 21 notice, but the timing that Trevor said had caused particular stress.

“Obviously it happened in the run up to Christmas and we had to look for a new place.

“Where we live at the minute, for every one house around 20 people are applying for it.”

THOUSANDS AFFECTED

Trevor and Tnaesha are one of thousands of households who have been served Section 21 notices in recent months.

The latest data from the showed 32,287 accelerated possession orders were made in 2024 compared to 30,230 in 2023.

These orders can be made by landlords if tenants have not left their property by a date specified in a Section 21 notice.

The figures also showed there were 2,947 evictions by bailiffs following a section 21 notice being made between October and December last year.

This was an almost 10% increase from 2,671 over the same three month period in 2023.

The figures come ahead of an upcoming ban on no-fault evictions as part of the Government's Renters' Rights Bill.

The Bill has already gone through the and is expected to become law this year.

Tom Darling, director at the Renters' Reform Coalition, which for renters' rights, said: “For far too long, section 21 has allowed landlords to threaten and bully tenants with impunity.

“Landlords' power to evict without reason has made insecurity a basic fact of life for millions of private renters, driven up and seen thousands of families forced out of their and communities every year.

“After years of campaigning by renters groups, the Renters' Rights Bill will finally put a stop to this – but to make a real difference the bill must be watertight, with no loopholes, and properly enforced.”

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