Boy, 12, says 'no-fault eviction' was misery
PA MediaA 12-year-old boy whose family was forced out of their home due to a "no-fault eviction" said his "heart sank" when he was told they had to move.
Jack, from Liverpool, was told they would no longer be living in their home and would have to give up their pet dog, after they received a Section 21 notice.
They are used by landlords to evict tenants with two months' notice, without any reason needing to be given.
Jack said he was left "devastated" after the family discovered they could not afford a private rental property, forcing them into temporary accommodation. They have since been rehomed.
The family was sent to a hotel with one room that contained two beds, a television and a kettle.
Jack told BBC Radio 4: "It was just tiny, horrible, it wasn't very suitable for children and all you could basically do was just watch TV or go to sleep.
"It's just misery".
Jack said he felt like he had woken up in one of his video games, trapped in one room and his mission was to find a way to escape.
"It was just like a game trying to get past a level, it was just day after day after day, a struggle," he said.
Jack and his parents told BBC Radio 4 they are now living in a flat provided through social housing.
The Renters' Rights Bill, which bans Section 21 or "no-fault evictions", is progressing through the House of Commons. A ban has long been promised but repeatedly delayed.
Roughly 500 private renters are served a Section 21 notice every day, according to the housing charity Shelter.
In the past year, more than 26,000 households have been threatened with homelessness due to a "no-fault eviction", the highest number since records began.
The government previously said it hoped a ban on evicting tenants in England without a reason would be in place by next summer.
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