A COUPLE have been forced to live in their car after being made homeless.
Friday Quick was happily living with her two sons when they were told they were being turfed out through a so-called no-fault eviction notice.
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The family were given just months to find somewhere else to live or face sleeping on the streets, KentOnline reports.
Thankfully, Friday’s kids bagged a new home by the deadline of July 8, but the mum and her partner Richard Warrior, who later moved in, weren’t so lucky.
Despite applying for flats through the council and private landlords, they found themselves with nowhere to go.
They say they were repeatedly turned down due to their lack of savings and guarantor, but, on October 27 they were still given the boot.
The pair, from Chatham, Kent, are now living in their Audi with only handful of appliances they can’t use, and taking showers at service stations whenever they can.
They sleep by putting blankets up to block out light from the front window and then recline the front seats covered in pillows.
Friday, 50, who has been out of work for two years due to her health, said: “It is degrading. It is the simple things like going to the toilet.
“We have been living off sandwiches, crisps and fruit so we are not starving. We have just bought a flask so we can have hot water.”
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Dad-of-four Richard, 49, a fencer who is currently unemployed, added: “We do not feel safe when we are sleeping.
“We just want somewhere safe to live, that is all we are asking for.
“We just want a place we can call home and just enjoy our lives.”
The couple were issued a Section 21 notice – known as a no-fault eviction – in March.
The law allows landlords to ask tenants to leave without giving a reason if they are outside of a rental contract.
While Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove has said these kinds of evictions should be banned, the rules currently still apply.
Friday and Richard are working tirelessly with the council and estate agents to secure a property.
They say many landlords refuse to take them as they aim to pay the deposit and first month’s rent through a Private Rented Sector (PRS) scheme, which helps people facing financial difficulty secure privately rented accommodation.
But they also don’t meet the criteria for emergency accommodation.
A Medway Council spokesperson said: “We are committed to helping Medway’s residents who have nowhere to live.
“We commission a range of accommodation and support for people with nowhere to live and work with a range of partners in the private and social housing sectors to help prevent residents from becoming homeless, this includes providing financial support.
“In line with national guidance, residents can also apply to be on our housing register.
“We assess everyone’s circumstances and prioritise those with greater housing needs; this includes people who are homeless or have medical needs.
“We would encourage anyone who is homeless, or who is at risk of becoming homeless to visit Kingsley House in Gillingham to access the specialist advice and support available to them.”
What is the section 21 rule and what are your rights as a renter?
THE law – known as Section 21 – means a landlord can ask you to move out without needing a particular reason.
- The first step of every procedure is the section 21 notice – a letter of notification that the landlord must serve to the tenant, prior to the eviction. The notice to quit is purely informational and doesn’t carry any legal power.
- If you’ve got a good relationship with your landlord, it might be worth asking them if you can stay in your home for longer. Send a letter to your landlord explaining your situation and keep a copy of any reply you get.
- Your landlord can’t make you leave your home unless they’ve gone to court to get a possession order and a warrant for eviction.
- You might be able to challenge your eviction and stay in your home.
- A section 8 notice can require you to move sooner, but can only be served if the landlord has a reason, such as you breaking the terms of your tenancy.
- New rules introduced in October 2015 have made it harder to evict you for reporting problems with the property.
- If you’re asked to leave because you’ve asked for repairs then you should see advice immediately.
- You can find more tips on how to challenge your eviction on Citizens Advice.
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