More than 800 Sheffield Council tenants face eviction for not paying rent in just three months

It comes as people battle to survive the cost of living crisis which has exacerbated the struggle many were already facing due to Covid-19 and more than a decade of austerity.

The figures were revealed by councillor Sophie Thornton at the latest full council meeting.

Answering Coun Thornton’s questions, Coun Douglas Johnson, chair of the housing committee, said the council served 805 notices seeking possession for rent arrears between February and April. During the same time, the council made 17 evictions for not paying rent.

There were also 28 notices seeking possession and four evictions for anti-social behaviour.

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More than 2,500 households were evicted by councils over the last three years for not paying rent, according to a Freedom of Information Act request submitted by The Mirror.

Sheffield Council was named as the local authority to evict the most households for not paying enough rent in a single year – this was 140 evictions in 2019/20.

These FOI requests covered 154 councils representing all major cities and towns across the UK.

Coun Johnson told the Mirror: “Sheffield Council is one of the largest landlords in the country, with 39,000 tenants, so this would be reflected in the number of evictions being carried out.

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“The council has an eviction rate of just 0.36 percent. Where evictions are due to non-payment of rent, we endeavour to support tenants to the best of our ability, offering them several payment options and opportunities, including use of our hardship fund.”