Facing Eviction in Newcastle?
You have rights. You are not alone. We fight back together.
Food & Solidarity Newcastle organises collective defence against unjust evictions. We have supported multiple members to stay in their homes through community mobilisation, legal challenges, and direct action. We know the tactics landlords use and how to fight them. This page tells you what to do from the moment you receive a notice.
Immediate Steps If You've Received an Eviction Notice
- Do not leave your home. Most evictions require a court order. A notice is not an order. You do not have to go anywhere until a court says so.
- Call us: 07393 101018. The sooner you contact us, the more options we have. We respond within 48 hours call directly for urgent situations.
- Gather your documents. Find your tenancy agreement, the eviction notice, any letters or emails to or from your landlord, your deposit protection certificate, and your gas safety certificate if you have it.
- Do not sign anything the landlord or their agent sends you including agreements to leave voluntarily without getting advice first.
- If it is a Section 21 notice, check validity immediately (see below). Section 21 is also being abolished in May 2026 you may have more leverage than you think.
- Join our next member meeting so we can plan collective defence together. You do not have to face this alone.
Section 21 or Section 8? Know Which Notice You Have
The type of notice you have received determines your options. Many notices of both types are legally invalid and can be challenged. The legal landscape is also about to change significantly.
Section 21 No-Fault Eviction
Your landlord does not need a reason. But a Section 21 notice is invalid if:
- Your deposit was not protected in a government scheme
- You were not given a gas safety certificate
- You were not given an EPC
- You were not given the 'How to Rent' guide
- It was served after you reported disrepair (revenge eviction)
- The notice period or wording is incorrect
Section 8 Grounds-Based Eviction
Your landlord must state specific legal grounds most often rent arrears. Also frequently invalid if:
- The stated grounds are incorrect or exaggerated
- The notice period is wrong
- Arrears were caused by housing benefit delays
- You can clear arrears before the court hearing
- The correct form has not been used
The Renters' Rights Act: What Changes in May 2026
The Renters' Rights Act is coming into force on 1 May 2026, approximately six weeks from now. Food & Solidarity and allied organisations campaigned for this for years. The abolition of Section 21 is a genuine win but it is not the end of eviction, and organised tenants will matter more than ever.
What changes
- Section 21 abolished. Landlords can no longer evict without a reason. All evictions must use Section 8 grounds from 1 May 2026.
- Periodic tenancies. Fixed-term Assured Shorthold Tenancies replaced by open-ended periodic tenancies
- No DSS / no children bans outlawed. Landlords cannot discriminate against tenants receiving benefits or with children.
- Landlord ombudsman. A new independent body to help resolve disputes without relying on costly court proceedings.
What does not change
- Rent is still not controlled. Landlords can raise rents to unaffordable levels, using rent hikes as a de facto eviction mechanism. This is why Food & Solidarity and the Homes for Us Alliance continue to demand rent control.
- New Section 8 grounds can be exploited. The new grounds allowing landlords to evict in order to sell or move a family member in are untested. Enforcement and oversight remain weak.
- Organised tenants are still essential. Laws on paper are only enforced by people who know them and act on them together.
Read our full analysis: A Victory, Not the End Why Tenant Solidarity Must Continue After the Renters' Rights Act and what the Renters' Rights Act means specifically for Newcastle tenants.
How Long Does an Eviction Take?
The eviction process takes months, not days. Understanding the stages means knowing how much time you have to organise.
- Notice served. Section 21 requires at least 2 months' notice. Section 8 requires 2 weeks to 2 months depending on the grounds.
- Validity check. Before the notice period expires, check whether it is legally valid. An invalid notice stops the process entirely.
- Possession claim issued. If you do not leave after the notice period, your landlord must apply to court. This takes additional weeks to months.
- Court hearing. You will be notified. You can attend and challenge the claim. Judges consider hardship and vulnerability. Landlord procedural mistakes can defeat claims entirely.
- Possession order. If granted, this is not yet the end. Your landlord still cannot remove you.
- Bailiff warrant. Only after a possession order can the landlord apply for a warrant. Only then can bailiffs legally attend and even then you have rights.
From notice to bailiff is typically six months or more. Courts are overloaded and landlords frequently make procedural mistakes. Use this time to organise. Read about the broader eviction crisis in Newcastle and what Food & Solidarity has won.
How Food & Solidarity Helps
- Legal validity checks: We go through your notice and documents with you. Many eviction notices Section 21 and Section 8 are invalid and can be challenged immediately.
- Know your rights: We explain the eviction process step by step, including what bailiffs are and are not allowed to do and what the Renters' Rights Act means for your specific situation.
- Collective action: We organise fellow members and community supporters letters, meetings, public campaigns, and physical presence if it comes to it.
- Negotiating from strength: Landlords regularly back down when facing organised tenants. We have seen this happen repeatedly.
- Housing disrepair support: If your eviction follows disrepair complaints, the Section 21 may be a revenge eviction and invalid. Read our housing disrepair guide.
Real Victories: What Collective Defence Looks Like
These are not hypothetical outcomes. These are members who faced eviction in Newcastle and did not face it alone.
Section 21 revenge eviction Newcastle West End 2023/24
Member Sarah was served a Section 21 notice just before Christmas 2023 after reporting dangerous disrepair to letting agent Jan Forster Estates: a water leak affecting bathroom electrics, sewage issues, and serious damp and mould. Food & Solidarity members mobilised immediately, picketing the Gosforth office in Halloween costumes, running a Christmas stall outside their door, and meeting directly with the managing director. When the agents threatened legal action, members did not back down.
The outcome: Jan Forster Estates had failed to protect Sarah's deposit within the legal timeframe invalidating the original eviction notice and forcing them to return her deposit. Sarah stayed through Christmas and left on her own terms, more than six months after the original notice.
Read Sarah's full story → | What to do if your landlord threatens legal action →
Council eviction administrative error Newcastle 2025
Dennis and his son faced eviction by Newcastle City Council not because they had done anything wrong, but because the council made mistakes in their case and moved to force them out rather than fix them. On May Day 2025, Food & Solidarity members gathered in Leazes Park for an emergency training session studying the law, role-playing bailiff encounters, and mapping collective response. Demands were issued to the council: stop the eviction, offer a secure tenancy, and apologise.
Disabled tenant community defence Newcastle
Pauline, a disabled grandmother, faced eviction from her home. Food & Solidarity ran urgent training covering how to resist bailiff actions, what legal steps can stop an eviction, and the roles needed for collective defence. Members built a WhatsApp group for real-time updates and prepared to act together. Because of that community readiness, Pauline was able to move to a new property with emotional and practical backing from members.
Read about Pauline's case → | More on Food & Solidarity's eviction victories →
Mears refugee evictions North East 2023
Private housing company Mears was evicting refugees into homelessness with just seven days' notice after asylum claims were granted. Food & Solidarity members organised protests outside Mears' offices in Darlington and applied sustained public pressure. The Home Office reversed its seven-day eviction policy, restoring the 28-day move-on period.
Your Rights as a Tenant in Newcastle
- Your landlord must go through the courts to evict you. Changing locks or removing your belongings without a court order is illegal eviction a criminal offence.
- You have the right to challenge an eviction notice and to attend a possession hearing.
- You have the right to live in a safe, warm home. Landlords are responsible for repairs to heating, plumbing, electrics, and conditions affecting health.
- If you reported disrepair before receiving a Section 21, the notice may be a revenge eviction and invalid. Read our housing disrepair guide.
- Section 21 ends in May 2026. The Renters' Rights Act abolishes no-fault eviction. If your case is still live when the law changes, call us immediately the options available to you shift. Read what this means for you.
For the political context why evictions are the result of deliberate policy, not individual bad luck read The Fight Against Evictions: the power of collective action and Rent is an Engine of Poverty.
If Bailiffs Arrive
Bailiffs can only attend after both a possession order and a bailiff warrant have been granted by the court. On a first visit in most circumstances, they cannot force entry. Check their ID and the court order carefully name, address, and amounts must all be correct.
Our full bailiff rights guide covers exactly what bailiffs can and cannot do, what items they cannot take, and how to challenge unlawful action. Read it before they arrive, not after. Food & Solidarity members have trained together in bailiff resistance including role-playing encounters and mapping collective response plans.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I do immediately if I receive an eviction notice?
Call us on 07393 101018. Do not leave your home. Gather your tenancy agreement, the notice, and any correspondence with your landlord. Most evictions require a court order you likely have more time than you think.
Is Section 21 still legal in March 2026?
Yes Section 21 is still legal today but is being abolished under the Renters' Rights Act, coming into force on 1 May 2026, around six weeks from now. Check notice validity immediately (deposit protection, gas safety certificate, EPC, How to Rent guide, revenge eviction). If your case is still in process when the law changes, call us your position may shift. Full Renters' Rights Act guide →
What does the Renters' Rights Act mean for me?
From 1 May 2026, landlords cannot evict without a legally recognised reason. Section 21 ends. All evictions must use Section 8 grounds. Fixed-term tenancies are replaced by open-ended periodic tenancies. But rent is still not controlled, and new selling/moving-in grounds could still be exploited. Full guide to the Renters' Rights Act → | Our analysis of what it does and does not change →
Can a Section 21 notice be challenged?
Yes, frequently. A Section 21 is invalid if the landlord has not protected your deposit, has not provided a gas safety certificate or EPC, has not given you the How to Rent guide, or served the notice after you reported housing disrepair. In Sarah's case, the landlord's own failure to protect her deposit voided the entire notice. Full Section 21 guide →
What is a revenge eviction?
A revenge (retaliatory) eviction is when a landlord serves a Section 21 after a tenant reports disrepair or makes a complaint. Section 21 notices are invalid in these circumstances. This is what happened to Sarah after she reported dangerous conditions to Jan Forster Estates. Read her story.
How long does an eviction take?
Typically six months or more from notice to bailiff notice period, possession claim, court hearing, possession order, and bailiff warrant are all separate stages. Courts are overloaded. Landlords make procedural mistakes. Call us early: the sooner we are involved, the more options you have.
What can I do if bailiffs arrive?
Call us immediately on 07393 101018. Keep your door locked. In most cases on a first visit, bailiffs cannot force entry. Read our full bailiff rights guide it covers what they can and cannot take and how to challenge unlawful action.
Can you help if my landlord is Newcastle City Council?
Yes. We supported Dennis when Newcastle City Council attempted to evict him due to their own administrative errors. We ran bailiff resistance training, issued demands, and forced them to reverse course. Read Dennis's case.
What if my eviction follows housing disrepair?
If you reported disrepair and then received a Section 21, the notice may be a revenge eviction and legally invalid one of the most common routes to challenging a Section 21 right now, before abolition. Housing disrepair guide → Call 07393 101018 immediately.
Do I need to be a member to get help?
No. We provide emergency support to anyone in crisis. Membership from £3 a month gives you ongoing access to food parcels, collective support, and a democratic community that organises together. We will never turn anyone away.
Get Support Now
Your landlord hopes you feel isolated and scared. Your community, if organised, ensures you are neither.
📞
07393 101018
call for urgent support
📍
120-126 Buckingham St, Newcastle upon Tyne NE4 5QR
✉️ organiser@foodandsolidarity.org
Additional Resources
- Shelter Eviction Advice England free comprehensive housing legal advice
- Citizens Advice Newcastle: 0808 278 7868
- Shelter Housing Advice Line: 0808 800 4444
- Newcastle City Council Homelessness Prevention: 0191 278 7878
- Renters' Rights Act what it means for Newcastle tenants
- A Victory, Not the End analysis of the Renters' Rights Act
- Section 21 eviction full guide
- Section 8 eviction full guide
- Bailiff rights guide what to do when enforcement agents arrive
- Housing disrepair guide reporting and escalating disrepair in Newcastle
- The Fight Against Evictions campaign history and wins
- Rent is an Engine of Poverty
- Food & Solidarity FAQs membership, food parcels, housing support
Page last updated: April 2026 (includes Renters' Rights Act changes effective 1 May 2026).