Evicted for No Reason Panorama


Evicted for No Reason

Similar Content

Browse content similar to Evicted for No Reason. Check below for episodes and series from the same categories and more!

Transcript


LineFromTo

Tonight on Panorama:

0:00:040:00:10

We're with the families

who've been ordered out

0:00:100:00:12

of their homes.

0:00:120:00:13

I can't sleep.

0:00:130:00:16

Cried a million tears tonight.

0:00:160:00:19

The tenants evicted,

but not told why.

0:00:190:00:27

What is it like for your mum moving

all the time?

I think it is really

0:00:280:00:34

hard and depressing for her. There

were more than 24,000 of these

0:00:340:00:39

no-fault evictions last year. Move,

move. I can't just keep uprooting my

0:00:390:00:49

family.

The landlords say they are

the ones getting a bad deal.

Very

0:00:490:00:55

angry. The tenants have all sorts of

laws protecting them, what about the

0:00:550:01:00

landlord?

Oh my god, I do not know

how to open this.

Britain needs

0:01:000:01:07

private landlords, but the system is

forcing thousands into homelessness.

0:01:070:01:11

Oh my God. There is blood, urine

stains everywhere.

Should tenants be

0:01:110:01:19

evicted when they have not done

anything wrong?

0:01:190:01:26

I'm sorry. Thanks.

This is what the

housing crisis is doing to families.

0:01:400:01:49

The McGlashans are being evicted.

Stick it in a bag and let your dad

0:01:490:01:56

put it back together.

They have

fallen out with their landlord. In

0:01:560:02:03

the UK, that can cost you your home.

The bailiffs are due to turn up

0:02:030:02:10

tomorrow at 11am. At which point we

will hopefully be gone.

0:02:100:02:23

will hopefully be gone.

This is a

no-fault eviction, or section 20

0:02:230:02:26

one. Landlords do not have to give

you a reason if they want you out.

0:02:260:02:33

Courts ordered more than 24,000

evictions like this last year. That

0:02:330:02:39

is 67 everyday.

It is very common, a

lot of people are being evicted.

0:02:390:02:49

There is nothing you can really do

about it. If the eviction notice is

0:02:490:02:54

served correctly you cannot

challenge it. We have to take it and

0:02:540:02:57

find somewhere else to go to.

Laura

lives with her husband, who does not

0:02:570:03:02

want to be on television, five kids

and retired mum. Her landlord wants

0:03:020:03:08

to put the rent up by more than £400

a month. Laura is a full-time

0:03:080:03:16

account manager, but it is still

more than she can afford. So she is

0:03:160:03:20

out.

For a landlord to issue an

eviction on a rundown property, with

0:03:200:03:32

windows hanging off the ledge... You

know, it is not right, it should not

0:03:320:03:39

be allowed to happen.

But it can happen because tenants in

0:03:390:03:52

the UK have fewer rights than almost

anywhere in Europe. Most are on the

0:03:520:03:59

short-term contracts. When they are

ending, they can be evicted with

0:03:590:04:05

just two months notice, though it

can often take longer to get tenants

0:04:050:04:09

out.

The eviction for section 21

would not be able to go ahead until

0:04:090:04:15

October.

Why are the tenants not

leaving the property?

The number of

0:04:150:04:22

private landlords has rocketed to an

estimated 1.75 million.

Nicola, she

0:04:220:04:29

wants to hold off the Bailiff.

So

there are specialist firms that help

0:04:290:04:36

landlords get tenants out.

This one

removes hundreds per year. You have

0:04:360:04:42

plenty of ways to evict, it is

making sure you choose the right

0:04:420:04:47

one.

We do this day in day out to

help landlords who are distressed

0:04:470:04:51

like yourself.

Take care. But the

housing shortage means Britain now

0:04:510:04:58

depends on the private rented

sector. Around 13 million people

0:04:580:05:04

rent from private landlords.

0:05:040:05:11

rent from private landlords.

98% of

tenants go through swimmingly and

0:05:110:05:13

most landlords will not have to

evict a tenant in a lifetime of

0:05:130:05:17

being a landlord but when it happens

it can be destroyed and

0:05:170:05:24

it can be destroyed and --

distressing.

Most UK landlords only

0:05:240:05:27

owned one or two properties, which

means they cannot afford for things

0:05:270:05:33

to go wrong for long. No-fault

section 21 evictions are the easiest

0:05:330:05:39

way for private landlords to get

their properties back.

I think it is

0:05:390:05:45

crucial, a section 21 notice means

landlords and tenants can draw a

0:05:450:05:49

tendency to an end and nobody is at

fault and everybody knows where they

0:05:490:05:54

stand.

You are not worried it is too

much in favour of the landlord?

The

0:05:540:05:59

rules currently are mostly in favour

of the tenant.

If you have at least

0:05:590:06:06

two months arrears we will be a --

able to serve a section eight.

It

0:06:060:06:14

looks like a landlord can bid out a

tenant when they feel like.

It must

0:06:140:06:19

be tough for a tenant, if they think

they have been a good tenant, to

0:06:190:06:24

leave the property, but the reasons

why a landlord will use a section 21

0:06:240:06:28

will be the relationship has broken

down, the tenant is not looking

0:06:280:06:33

after the property, paying rent on

time. Or that personal circumstances

0:06:330:06:38

have happened. It can be brutal and

I feel for tenants that has happened

0:06:380:06:42

to.

0:06:420:06:48

to.

But section 21 can be abused.

Some landlords evict tenants just

0:06:480:06:54

for complaining about the property.

The housing charity Shelter claims

0:06:540:07:03

thousands are affected by revenge

evictions every year.

0:07:030:07:10

Julie, who is a beautician,

complained and now she is out. She

0:07:200:07:26

has lived in this house in rural

Worcestershire for four years and

0:07:260:07:30

has always paid her rent. She

complained repeatedly about problems

0:07:300:07:37

like a leaking shower.

I sent a

message to my sons and said we are

0:07:370:07:45

homeless. They are like, you are

joking. They said, what have you

0:07:450:07:50

done? I said I feel like I have done

nothing other than complain about

0:07:500:07:54

this leak.

0:07:540:08:02

this leak.

Julie was offered a new

lease, but she did not sign it.

0:08:020:08:07

After three months, the landlord

issued an eviction notice.

I have

0:08:070:08:14

worked hard and spent almost £40,000

to live here. I have nothing for it.

0:08:140:08:22

Nothing, I am homeless. £40,000.

That is like a quarter of the

0:08:220:08:27

mortgage I have paid off on this

house. It just means nothing.

0:08:270:08:40

house. It just means nothing.

Her

landlord says he carried out

0:08:400:08:43

repairs, but was fed up with Julie's

trivial complaints.

Have you got to

0:08:430:08:51

appoint a solicitor? I have not got

a solicitor. You cannot fight it.

It

0:08:510:08:56

is not a fighting thing. She thinks

she has found a place but it might

0:08:560:09:01

not be ready by the time she is

kicked out.

0:09:010:09:08

kicked out.

It gives you a heavy

heart. I keep being

0:09:080:09:17

heart. I keep being told I don't

have to get out of here, but if I

0:09:180:09:21

stay here, they will start court

proceedings, sought the bailiffs out

0:09:210:09:28

and all the other scary stuff they

are going to do. And I have done

0:09:280:09:31

nothing wrong.

But the private rental market can be

0:09:310:09:42

precarious for landlords also. Bad

tenants can quickly cost you

0:09:420:09:49

thousands.

0:09:490:09:54

thousands. Section 21 evictions can

feel like a lifeline.

Show me where

0:09:540:10:01

your places. It is the bottom left

flat. What kind of places it? It is

0:10:010:10:09

a two bedroom ground floor flat.

How

much do you rent it for? £950 per

0:10:090:10:17

month. Frances Carpenter works as a

hotel cleaner and also rents out two

0:10:170:10:21

properties. But she is not happy

with the tenant in this one. He has

0:10:210:10:28

installed satellite television and

changed utility meters without

0:10:280:10:31

permission.

The rent was late,

several times, and then he decided

0:10:310:10:38

he could not pay all the rent, could

he pay half at the beginning of the

0:10:380:10:43

month and half at the end of the

month? That was the last straw. My

0:10:430:10:49

bills have to go out, I do not get

to pay bills into halves and go to

0:10:490:10:54

the supermarket and say I will pay

for this now and pay for the rest of

0:10:540:11:00

it next week. You pay for it all at

once.

0:11:000:11:08

Her tenants always paid the rent

eventually. He has a school-age

0:11:080:11:13

daughter and the eviction could

leave them homeless. You use a

0:11:130:11:19

section 21.

Are you being brutal

with him? I do not think so, he is

0:11:190:11:25

brutal by not asking permission to

do the things he has done. You do

0:11:250:11:29

not drill holes through walls and

put up cable clips and generally

0:11:290:11:36

treat the place as if it is some

kind of... It is his home? It is his

0:11:360:11:43

home, but it is my property. You are

emotional. I am very angry. Tenants

0:11:430:11:52

have all sorts of laws protecting

them, what about the landlord?

0:11:520:12:03

them, what about the landlord?

The

eviction has cost Frances more than

0:12:030:12:06

£1000 so far. She has had to borrow

money. If evictions are costly for

0:12:060:12:11

tenants also. Research suggests the

average cost of a move for a family

0:12:110:12:19

is about £1400. If you do not have

that money, you are in trouble. The

0:12:190:12:28

most common cause of homelessness is

being evicted by a private landlord.

0:12:280:12:36

Laura's family cannot afford London

rents. This is the new place. They

0:12:390:12:45

are officially homeless, so the

council has moved them to a B&B.

Can

0:12:450:12:50

you smell the urine? OK.

This is

your one. Laura's mum has moved with

0:12:500:13:02

them.

Oh my God.

0:13:020:13:10

them.

Oh my God.

There is blood,

urine stains everywhere. Disgusting.

0:13:110:13:17

I can't sleep there, I'm afraid.

0:13:170:13:28

That is even worse. That is why they

are turned over. It is like someone

0:13:280:13:36

has been killed on it.

They probably

have, judging by the smell.

0:13:360:13:49

have, judging by the smell. You

cannot put children on beds like

0:13:490:13:54

that.

I think we need to complain

because they are a bit of a health

0:13:540:14:04

hazard.

0:14:040:14:09

The B&B replaced the mattresses.

Four days later, the family are

0:14:130:14:17

settling in.

What planet do you live

on?

I lived on the white planet.

0:14:170:14:25

What is it called?

Is it the moon?

The kids are missing school because

0:14:250:14:33

it is now 1.5 hours away. What is it

like for your mum moving all the

0:14:330:14:37

time, do you think?

I think it is

really hard and depressing for her.

0:14:370:14:43

Why?

Because she has to move a lot

and when we get used to the house

0:14:430:14:49

and she has to move again...

That's

hard, isn't it? Even though Laura

0:14:490:14:58

works, the family relies on housing

benefit to meet high London rents.

0:14:580:15:06

Most landlords simply won't rent to

people on housing benefit.

The

0:15:060:15:12

eviction wasn't our fault. People

that may not have the means to pay

0:15:120:15:20

out large deposits or find an

alternative property, you are

0:15:200:15:26

completely at the landlord's swim.

-- the landlord's whim.

Rents are so

0:15:260:15:37

high in some parts of the country,

that people on average wages are

0:15:370:15:41

being priced out. There is little

social housing and private landlords

0:15:410:15:48

can choose the wealthiest tenants.

So, families who are evicted can end

0:15:480:15:58

up in places like this. It is an

industrial estate near Croydon.

0:15:580:16:08

industrial estate near Croydon. Home

to concrete plants, recycling

0:16:080:16:11

centres, lorries, and now families

living in a converted office block.

0:16:110:16:15

From where I'm sitting, believe me,

I am hearing heard... Her rationale

0:16:150:16:23

but sitting on this side of it, it

is an absolute nightmare. It is an

0:16:230:16:28

absolute nightmare.

Ava works for

the council but she's not here to

0:16:280:16:36

help the homeless. She has been

evicted twice under section 20 one.

0:16:360:16:41

She's homeless so the council has

housed her in the office block.

I

0:16:410:16:47

work with Croydon Council also but

the form... What is the point of

0:16:470:16:52

this online system?

Who is it? Richard from the BBC,

0:16:520:17:01

Ava. How are you? Pleased to meet

you. How's things?

OK.

This is your

0:17:010:17:10

place?

Come in, it is a bit of a

shuffle.

This is your hall?

Very

0:17:100:17:18

small hallway.

So, this was an

office block?

Yeah, this is my son's

0:17:180:17:26

bedroom.

And the roofs are very low,

aren't they?

Yeah, but we're not

0:17:260:17:32

that tall, so...

She lives here with

her son and shares a bed with her

0:17:320:17:40

grown-up daughter. Despite working

full-time, Ava could not afford

0:17:400:17:44

another rented home after her two

evictions. Life with no security,

0:17:440:17:49

what's that's like?

I've been

through it, and might only... Hope

0:17:490:17:55

of getting out of it is apparently

to get back into private rented

0:17:550:18:00

because there is no... Council 's

stock come I have to go private

0:18:000:18:05

rented but I know what that looks

like, I know what that feels like,

0:18:050:18:10

and I really, really, really don't

want to be there again. I don't want

0:18:100:18:15

somebody with that kind of power

over me.

0:18:150:18:20

Ava was a foster mum. She cared for

six kids and adopted two of them.

0:18:280:18:35

She's now had to give up fostering

because she doesn't have a proper

0:18:350:18:39

home.

I've never seen her so

scattered and just at a loss. It's

0:18:390:18:48

really upsetting, actually. You

know, she's always been quite

0:18:480:18:52

together, she's a foster carer so

you have to be quite legitimate and

0:18:520:18:56

just strong. It upsets me to see her

just not sure where the future is

0:18:560:19:03

going.

This is the fourth place that

I've had to bring my cattle since...

0:19:030:19:12

In 18 months. Now, that can't be

right. There is something that is

0:19:120:19:18

just a little bit wrong about that,

that move, move, move, I can't just

0:19:180:19:27

keep uprooting my family and just

going from place to place.

0:19:270:19:38

So, the system is not working for

thousands of landlords and tenants.

0:19:410:19:47

But there is part of the UK where

they think they've found a solution.

0:19:470:19:56

Scotland's renters now get tenancies

for life.

In you come. This is us in

0:19:560:20:03

here. Come through to the lounge.

Stewart Brown is looking for a new

0:20:030:20:10

flat to rent in Aberdeen.

You have

got your white goods here.

He is

0:20:100:20:18

moving in with his girlfriend.

Taking a video because my girlfriend

0:20:180:20:22

couldn't make it today.

The law

changed two months ago. If they move

0:20:220:20:28

in, the landlord won't be able to

kick them out without good reason.

0:20:280:20:33

If we do take it, it is a nice

thought that it could just be right,

0:20:330:20:38

it could work out well for us and we

could stay here for the foreseeable

0:20:380:20:44

future, make a home out of it. Fill

it with all our own belongings and

0:20:440:20:51

know that we are not going to be

taken out at short notice.

0:20:510:21:00

Good evening, everyone and thanks

for coming in.

Across town, there is

0:21:050:21:11

a meeting of landlords. These are

the biggest changes to the rental

0:21:110:21:14

sector in a generation.

Tenants

deserve protection from rogue

0:21:140:21:21

landlords and a place where they can

be happy and enjoy the property that

0:21:210:21:25

they are in for the full tenancy.

There are worries about red tape but

0:21:250:21:30

the new rules offer something for

landlords, too.

The change, I think

0:21:300:21:38

if they are behind three months,

they've got to go immediately.

0:21:380:21:43

No-fault evictions have gone here

but it is now much easier for

0:21:430:21:46

landlords to get bad tenants out.

When you look at the 18 ways you can

0:21:460:21:51

get tenants out, they work both

ways. If I want to put my family in

0:21:510:21:57

there, I can end the tendency to put

my relative in there. And also if

0:21:570:22:01

they don't pay the rent, you don't

have to go to court to get them out.

0:22:010:22:06

I think it drives out the rogue

landlords, certainly does, and

0:22:060:22:12

forces people to become

professional.

Of course, the housing

0:22:120:22:20

market varies across the UK. Labour

thinks no-fault evictions should

0:22:200:22:26

stop everywhere. The government

disagrees. It says it's increased

0:22:260:22:32

protection for tenants and will

reduce barriers that block landlords

0:22:320:22:35

offering longer tenancies.

0:22:350:22:41

offering longer tenancies. So,

what's happened to the people we

0:22:420:22:44

have followed?

0:22:440:22:50

have followed? Well, Julie, who

complained about her shower, is now

0:22:500:22:53

days away from eviction. She gets a

call about the place she was

0:22:530:22:59

supposed to move into. It's bad

news.

I can't sleep. I cried a

0:22:590:23:07

million tears tonight.

0:23:070:23:14

The house I was going for has fallen

through.

0:23:150:23:23

Her landlord has given her an extra

month but, after that, she has

0:23:240:23:29

nowhere to go. Section 21 has turned

her life upside down.

0:23:290:23:38

her life upside down.

Devastated. I

don't know where to run. I'd like to

0:23:390:23:42

go and crawl under a rock somewhere

and hide but I can't. Yeah. My life

0:23:420:23:50

and my security is in everybody

else's hands but is mine. They've

0:23:500:23:55

all got control of my life. And that

is not a very nice feeling.

0:23:550:24:05

is not a very nice feeling.

There

has, at last, been some good news

0:24:050:24:08

for Julie. Within the last week,

she's managed to find somewhere to

0:24:080:24:13

rent.

0:24:130:24:19

Frances, the landlord who works as a

cleaner, has now been trying to get

0:24:220:24:28

her tenant out the five months.

Tell

me what the update is.

OK, so we've

0:24:280:24:37

received a defence form in from the

court informing us that the tenant

0:24:370:24:43

wishes to stay longer in the

property. This isn't unusual for

0:24:430:24:48

section 21.

The tenants now asked

the court to delay the eviction

0:24:480:24:52

because he has nowhere to go.

The

maximum they can get is about 42

0:24:520:24:57

days which is about six weeks.

He

wants to stay because I am his third

0:24:570:25:03

landlord, he has already been

evicted twice beforehand.

0:25:030:25:07

Unfortunately, if the judge upholds

his defence, it means we now have to

0:25:070:25:10

move on to a separate lawyer, and

that is going to cost more time and

0:25:100:25:17

more money. Probably a lot more

money. It's worrying, it's

0:25:170:25:23

infuriating and extremely stressful.

0:25:230:25:26

In London, it's almost four weeks

since Laura and her family were

0:25:320:25:36

evicted. After a week in a bed and

breakfast, the council found them

0:25:360:25:43

another temporary home to rent.

0:25:430:25:46

Hello, Laura, nice to see you again.

Come in.

How are you? This is the

0:25:500:25:59

new place, then?

0:25:590:26:04

new place, then? All right, guys?

How are you doing?

We are just being

0:26:040:26:09

nice to each other.

Let's all be

nice to each other. For Amira and

0:26:090:26:19

older brother Aiden, moving home

means moving school again.

0:26:190:26:23

Tomorrow's our last day.

What do you

think, Aiden, about the new school.

0:26:230:26:31

Upsetting because I can't see my

friends.

Is it sad you can't see

0:26:310:26:35

them again?

Yeah, but I'll be able

to make new friends.

I think you'll

0:26:350:26:40

make lots of new friends. The

eviction and moving meant Laura

0:26:400:26:46

missed a lot of work. She lost her

office job. And you've got the space

0:26:460:26:55

now? The family don't have their

furniture. They didn't get it out in

0:26:550:27:01

time when they were evicted and now

the landlord is ignoring their calls

0:27:010:27:06

so the children are sleeping on the

floor.

As a parent, it's really hard

0:27:060:27:13

to give your kids a kiss good night

and send them off to the floor.

0:27:130:27:20

It's, you know, heartbreaking

sometimes.

What do you think now

0:27:200:27:26

when you think of section 21?

section 21, I don't think it has any

0:27:260:27:35

value. I'd like to see a valid

reason given for the eviction that

0:27:350:27:41

has to stand up in court.

0:27:410:27:49

This cot is the only piece of

furniture in the house. The two

0:27:520:27:57

young ones have to share.

I just

want to sleep with Poosey because he

0:27:570:28:03

loves me.

0:28:030:28:10

As a nation, we depend on private

landlords. They say they need

0:28:140:28:19

no-fault evictions. But, for

millions of tenants, that means no

0:28:190:28:28

security, and no place they can

really call home.

0:28:280:28:32

Download Subtitles

SRT

ASS