Family's Dream Return Turns Into Housing Nightmare
A Manchester mother has described the heartbreaking situation that left her young family homeless for five months after tenants refused to move out of their family home. Nadia Aziz, 36, and her husband Irfan Aziz had been travelling the world with their four-year-old son Zakariya when they decided to return to their Tameside property in June to prepare for the arrival of their second child.
Instead of settling into their own home, Nadia found herself days from giving birth and embroiled in a legal battle that would drag on for months. The family has been forced to live in temporary Airbnb accommodation in High Wycombe, close to Irfan's family, while fighting to reclaim their Manchester property.
The Legal Battle That Left a Family Homeless
Nadia explained that she had given the tenants three months' notice in March, asking them to leave by June - more than the standard two months required by law. However, the long-term tenants, who had lived in the property for five years, refused to vacate until they were allocated a council house to move into.
The couple began legal proceedings to regain possession of their property, and a court granted them a possession order in August. Shockingly, Ashton-under-Lyne Council advised the tenants not to leave on this date, according to Nadia. In an email seen by the family, the council explained that if the tenants left when they received the order, they would be classed as 'voluntary homeless' and lose their rights to rehousing.
Nadia gave birth to their daughter on October 21st while still homeless and living in temporary accommodation. "It's been incredibly stressful," she said. "I was heavily pregnant and dealing with constant paperwork and court emails instead of focusing on my health and preparing for our daughter."
Financial and Emotional Toll on Travelling Family
The ordeal has cost the family approximately £2,500 in legal fees, court applications, and enforcement costs. They have also had to cancel planned renovation work on the property three times, adding to their frustration and financial burden.
Nadia and Irfan, who works remotely as an IT programme manager, purchased the property in 2018. While travelling and creating family-travel content for their 66,000 TikTok followers and 138,000 Instagram followers, they rented out the property. Their adventurous lifestyle had taken them to 30 countries, with their son's education happening through their travels around the world.
When Nadia became pregnant with their second child while travelling, the couple decided to return to the UK to have their baby girl, wanting the support of family and friends during the challenging newborn months. "We were planning to finally settle back in our home to prepare for the arrival of our new baby and start this next chapter as a family of four," Nadia explained.
The situation reached a particularly stressful point when Nadia had a hearing scheduled for October 9th, which happened to be her due date. She had to pay an additional £350 to have it moved from face-to-face to video. "It felt quite unreasonable given the circumstances," she said.
Broader Implications for Homeowners and Landlords
Nadia believes her story highlights significant flaws in how the system treats small landlords, particularly those renting out their own homes temporarily. "Homeowners, especially families like ours who aren't big landlords are left without protection," she stated.
She emphasised the need for a faster process for genuine homeowners trying to return to their own property. "It shouldn't take months of bureaucracy and huge expense to simply go home. There needs to be a clear distinction between families renting out their own homes and professional landlords with portfolios."
The family has been warned that enforcement officers from DCBL (the High Court enforcement firm) could take another five to six weeks to act, in the best-case scenario. Meanwhile, they remain in temporary accommodation, hoping each update might finally bring them closer to returning home.
Nadia has a stark warning for other families considering renting out their homes: "We did everything properly, tenancy agreements, fair notice, following every legal step and still ended up in this situation. Unless you're ready for months of potential stress and financial loss, I'd strongly advise against it."
A Tameside Council spokesperson told the Daily Mail: "All applicants are given advice relating to their individual circumstances which includes ensuring they know all options available to them. The team use housing legislation and refer to the Homelessness code of guidance to provide a comprehensive response to all households facing homelessness."
The family, who had planned to resume their travels while homeschooling their son when he turns five, are now considering selling the property or using a management agency if they ever regain access. "This was supposed to be an exciting new chapter for us," Nadia said. "Instead, it's turned into a legal nightmare. We just want to go home."
