‘Everyone was in tears’: the tenants given eviction notices just before ban in England

Tenants across England received 'no-fault' eviction notices in the final hours before the practice was banned on 1 May, with solicitors inundated by last-minute requests from landlords [1]. Carl Kansinde Middleton, 27, was served a Section 21 notice in Brighton just 10 hours before the ban under the Renters’ Right Act took effect [1]. "As we were getting closer, I really thought I was safe," Middleton said [1]. In Moseley, south Birmingham, a dozen tenants in a single building received eviction notices three days prior when the property was sold, with some having lived there for 10 or 20 years [1]. "Everyone was in tears," said resident Sharonjit Sutton [1]. In Barnet, north London, a 68-year-old tenant named Izzi, who has rented her home for 22 years, was served a notice after being diagnosed with a brain tumour [1]. "I’m looking at not being able to afford most of the same or similar accommodation," Izzi said [1]. Sara, a single parent in Otley, Leeds, with a 13-year tenancy and an 'immaculate' record, was served in February and now faces homelessness with her two children [1]. A government spokesperson said the ban on no-fault evictions is the biggest change to renting in a generation [1].