Two mothers have spoken of their despair after being served with 'no-fault' eviction notices just weeks before Christmas, forcing them to tell their children that presents were unaffordable this year.
‘No presents this year’: A mother's heartbreak
Kristina, a 51-year-old single mother from Muswell Hill, north London, has received her second Section 21 notice in under two years. She and her two sons, aged 18 and 11, must vacate their home by the end of February. The creative freelancer, who had hoped the property would be a long-term base to "recover and heal", now faces renewed instability.
"To be receiving one before Christmas as a single parent household, and to be telling your children 'I'm really sorry but there will be no presents this year' … it's so scary," Kristina said. Her family was homeless for seven months after a previous Section 21 eviction from a home they had occupied for 15 years, staying in a Travelodge while her eldest son sat his GCSEs.
The looming ban and the ongoing crisis
The controversial practice of Section 21 evictions will be banned from May 2025 under Labour's new Renter's Rights Act. Until that date, landlords retain the power to issue these two-month 'no-fault' notices without providing a reason. The Act, which became law in October 2025, was originally sponsored by former housing minister Angela Rayner.
Another family in Watford, Hertfordshire, is experiencing similar turmoil. Christina, 46, her partner, and their children were issued a Section 21 in September and given until the end of November to leave the house they have rented for nine years. After begging the letting agents, they secured an extension until the end of February.
"We don't have anywhere to go and in six weeks time it's Christmas," Christina explained. Despite both adults working full-time, they are struggling to find a new home, often being outbid within half an hour of viewing a property. They anticipate needing to pay at least £500 more per month, pushing their rent to around £2,000 for a similar home in the same area.
Campaigners call for stronger action on rents
Housing advocates warn that the ban on Section 21, while welcome, does not address the core issue of soaring rents. Average UK rents outside London hit a record £1,385 per month in Q3 2025, while London rents averaged £2,736, according to Rightmove data.
Ben Twomey, chief executive of Generation Rent, stated: "Homes are the foundations of our lives. But evictions shatter those foundations, pushing people into poverty and homelessness. These stories show the end of Section 21 can't come soon enough."
He and others argue that landlords can still force tenants out via unaffordable rent hikes, a practice often termed 'backdoor eviction'. Paul Shanks of the Renters' Reform Coalition said the ban comes "sadly too late to protect renters like Kristina". He called for a cap on rent increases to prevent them from outpacing wages or inflation.
The government maintains its new laws will offer significant protection. A spokesperson for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) said: "Our landmark Renters’ Rights Act will ban section 21 no fault evictions once and for all... We are taking action to help tenants by capping advance payments to one month’s rent, ending unfair bidding wars, and giving tenants stronger powers to challenge excessive rent hikes."
