Charity worker Deborah Egan had been living in her three-bed terraced house in Sheffield for more than two years, when the eviction notice landed on her doormat.
She knew it was coming. Last May, her landlord emailed to say the rent would be doubling, and 72-year-old Deborah had replied with a list of repairs that needed to be done before she could pay any increase.
She and her husband Malcolm had always been aware that the rent could rise incrementally, but there was no way they would have been able to meet the 100% increase, from £600 to £1,200, without having to choose between heating and eating, she tells Metro.
Then, in July, Deborah received an email and a letter through the door telling her she had been issued a section 21 notice, or ‘no-fault’ eviction, when the tenant is given two months to leave – or face a court possession order.
‘It felt really bad. It affected my ability to work and kept me awake at night,’ says Deborah. ‘I was extremely worried, as it is really expensive to move. It probably costs about £4,000 on a deposit for a new house and moving costs. This is money that you’re supposed to manifest from nowhere and as somebody who is a low wage community charity worker, it’s pretty tough.’
The grandmother and mother-of-four is one of nearly 20 million people in England struggling with housing costs, according to research released by the housing charity Shelter. Their findings show that 21% of people are finding it hard to keep up with mortgage or rent payments, 37% have had to cut back on essentials to afford housing costs, and 10% are worried about being evicted.
When Deborah received the eviction notice, her mental health took a nosedive.
‘It was the sword of Damocles hanging over you; like you’re going to move, otherwise you’re going to be on the street with some boxes,’ she recalls. ‘I’m sure I could have slept on someone’s sofa or something, but it was a horrible, belittling and inhumane position to put a person in, because your three basic wants as a human animal are shelter, food and warmth. And that being threatened completely pulls the rug out from underneath you.’
Although Deborah, who doesn’t drive, didn’t love the house; she loved its location, which was walking distance to everything important to her. ‘I was living three doors away from my daughter and my grandchildrenand about a quarter of a mile from my other daughter,’ she explains. ‘I wanted to work and live in the community that my family was based in and to which I’ve been contributing for many years. That’s where I wanted to stay.’
After receiving the eviction notice, Deborah would wake up at five in the morning full of anxiety and reach straight for her phone, scrolling through her inbox to check if anything had come in and scouring the internet for new rentals.
‘I felt under constant pressure, all day, every day. Every time I opened my email, there were new property listings that were unaffordable, or emails about our old one,’ she says. ‘The stress exacerbated my cardiovascular problems and my blood pressure was raised. I was agitated and not sleeping properly, which is really bad for your physical health.
‘I’m quite a balanced person but I made a couple of bad calls at work as a result of being distracted and stressed. I was losing focus. I never thought I would face eviction at 72. I was constantly in a state of astonishment that I was in this situation.’
What is a Section 21 notice?
A Section 21 notice, also known as a no-fault eviction, allows a landlord to ask their tenant to leave their property without having to specify a reason.
Renters are given at least two months to find alternative plans for accommodation before they must move out or face legal action.
There are concerns that the situation gives landlords the opportunity to kick out tenants who complain about their living standards – a practice called retaliatory evictions.
It’s a familiar picture across the UK, according to Shelter, which is currently working with HSBC UK to strengthen support for individuals in immediate crisis while also helping to create a more stable future for those at risk.
Emergency helpline manager, Nadeem Khan said: ‘Up and down the country, the housing emergency is raging and as we enter a new year, millions of people are feeling the devastating impact of a lack of genuinely affordable social homes and record high private rents.
‘Every day, across our frontline teams, we see and hear about the crippling financial pressures and heartbreaking situations people are facing. Parents tell us how they are spending sleepless nights anxious about losing their home and having to move away from their work, communities and children’s schools.’
Shelter helpline worker Laura Meeney has received calls from grown men in tears, mothers considering suicide, and families in despair over the housing crisis. She has spoken to a mum of a young baby who were both suffering health problems due to damp and mould in her private rented flat and from a man who sobbed as he told how he’d fallen into mortgage arrears after the sudden loss of his wife and was now likely to lose his home.
She also took a very distressing call from a desperate mum who had been made homeless with her children and was crammed into a single hostel room with no cooking facility leaving her feeling suicidal.
These calls are just the ‘tip of the iceberg’, says Laura. ‘People are struggling. They feel no-one cares. They tell me they feel ignored or unimportant. As a result, many callers are depressed, anxious, and sadly, sometimes suicidal. While obviously my main duty is to provide housing advice, listening and responding with empathy and compassion is vital.’
Deborah says she felt ‘powerless’ by the situation her landlord had put her in, so got in touch with Shelter to fnd out about her rights.
‘I knew to go to them and the housing office at the council and get all the legal work sorted out,’ she explains. ‘I knew what position to try and approach the landlord in, but most people don’t have those resources and so they just end up pulling their hair out because the legal situation is appalling.’
In the meantime, Deborah managed to find an affordable home that was owned for rental by a family friend and she and Malcolm have been able to remain in their community and are feeling secure again. However, Deborah is keen to speak out about her experience because she knows there are many others going through the same thing.
‘I’m kind of quite feisty and resilient. I’ve been around the block a few times, but there are lots of other people- young families, single parents – out there who don’t have the know-how that I have,’ she says.
‘There’s no legislation in place that protects the tenant and you’re completely subject to the whim and will of whoever owns that building.
‘The reason I’m stepping forward and talking about it openly is because it is appalling that people can be victimised on the basis of making profits. There are no consumer rights that apply to a tenant and yet rent is the largest outgoing in people’s monthly budget. We don’t have enough social and ethical private housing in the UK.’
To support Shelter’s urgent appeal, click here. You can find out more about the support and tools available from HSBC UK, including financial wellbeing webinars and 1:1 financial health checks, here.
MORE: A ‘ludicrous’ £10,000,000,000 project is set to give this London neighbourhood a makeover
MORE: The UK’s longest train journey with 36 stops and ‘breathtaking countryside’
MORE: Alpha Male domination is the theme of 2025 — men like Trump mean ‘nobody feels safe’
