Sutton on Sea family 'don't stand a chance' of finding a home

Ross Knowles, his partner Emma Earp and their two children have been "disheartened" by the private rental market

A family from Lincolnshire have said they "don't stand a chance" of finding a private home after being forced into shared temporary accommodation.

Emma Earp said a no-fault eviction by her landlord meant she, her partner Ross Knowles and their two children have to leave their Sutton on Sea home.

They are moving 16 miles away into council accommodation in Skegness.

Ms Earp said it was a struggle to find another private rental due to tough competition from "so many people".

"I didn't think it would be as hard as it has been. It has been incredibly hard," said Mr Knowles.

Data commissioned by BBC News from property website Rightmove showed the number of tenants seeking private properties to rent has tripled since 2019.

Ms Earp, a chef, and Mr Knowles, who works in retail, said they were paying £650 a month for their home but found two-bed bungalows in their area were commanding £1,200.

What is a no-fault eviction?

A key piece of housing legislation, known as Section 21, allows landlords to evict tenants without giving a reason.

After receiving a Section 21 notice, tenants have two months before their landlord can apply for a court order to evict them.

Ms Earp said viewing rental properties was "disheartening" due to other prospective tenants being shown around at the same time during "an open house".

The chef said viewing one property in Mablethorpe was "like a free for all, there were so many people in there".

"My mum came with me and I just looked at my mum and just thought 'oh, my goodness I don't even stand a chance'. We genuinely don't stand a chance.

"I just felt so disheartened."

Charlotte McGregor, from estate agent Stevens Property Management Limited, said demand for rental homes by tenants was "way outweighing supply at the moment" and the company had to restrict viewings for a single property to 10 tenants.

"We're getting an excessive amount of people wanting to apply for properties," she said.

Charlotte McGregor said demand for rental homes by tenants was "way outweighing supply at the moment"

Mr Knowles said having a family pet was one of the biggest issues in finding rentals because the properties they were interested in "won't allow dogs".

He said the temporary accommodation, arranged by the council, was "not ideal" due to the 40-minute commute to the children's school and it would not allow them to keep their pet dog.

They are also at risk of being moved at any given moment, Ms Earp says.

"We don't feel like we've actually got a home at the minute," she said.

"We're batting and bobbing between everything.

"It's just really difficult."