“We now face the prospect of homelessness during the coldest months of the year, in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis.

“And it seems to be in retaliation to us trying to assert our legal right to live in safe, dignified housing.” 

These are the words of Aberystwyth resident Holly Schelkens who lives in Portland Road with her partner Tarek Robertson.

But not for much longer.

On 26 November they were served with a Section 21 notice – often referred to as a no-fault eviction – which means a landlord can force a tenant out of their home without having to provide justification. 

The distress caused by the threat of homelessness has been revealed by victims in Ceredigion this Christmas period, just as the number of people facing no-fault evictions reaches an ‘unprecedented’ level in Wales. 

The Cambrian News has been in contact with five households which are set to be forced out of their homes in the next few months.

On 1 December, Welsh Government legislation came into force which triggered sweeping reform to the private rental sector. 

But an increase to the minimum no-fault eviction notice period from two months to six – as outlined in the Renting Homes (Wales) Act – will only be introduced in June, and has been delayed since May last year. 

The new laws came amid calls from many political parties in the UK for evictions to be banned altogether ahead of a freezing Christmas period.

Plaid Cymru has reiterated previous demands for evictions to be halted over the winter.

Housing charity Shelter’s Wales branch told the Cambrian News no-fault evictions had reached truly ‘unprecedented levels’ — the highest since records began.

Many landlords are seeking to cash in and sell homes while prices are still high and others don’t want to go through the procedural changes outlined in the new legislation. 

Dwyfor Meirionnydd MS Mabon ap Gwynfor told us he had been inundated with families facing homelessness across the constituency this Christmas after receiving Section 21 notices.

Despite all this, Wales could soon be the only nation in the UK not to have banned the practice – with Scotland having already banned it and England soon to follow.

Holly and Tarek have lived in Aberystwyth for more than a decade and both work for regional charities.

They say they were served with a Section 21 notice by Aberystwyth estate agents, 1 Stop Lettings, on behalf of the landlord just days after they finally complained to Ceredigion County Council about the increasingly parlous state of their home.

Damp and mold have been building for more than a year, they say, while broken heaters, windows and a toilet flush were left unfixed for months.

“It’s obvious to us the Section 21 notice was rushed through, not only in revenge for involving the council in matters, but also to bypass extra protections for tenants that came into force in Wales less than a week after the notice was served,” Holly added. 

 “We have attempted to communicate with the landlady but in response the agents intervened on her behalf to state that we are not to contact her.

“There seems to be a consensus of general disregard for the moral and ethical significance of evicting us in the heart of winter, during a cost-of-living crisis, with no warning and minimum notice.  

 “It’s unlikely that we will be able to find a place to live by the end of January. 

“The experience has wrecked our mental health; Tarek already has complex post-traumatic stress disorder and this experience has been extremely triggering and frightening.  

“Ultimately, the housing situation is totally broken in Aberystwyth right now with rents out of control and letting agents and landlords acting with impunity.

“We are telling our story because this has to stop – they wield too much power with no accountability, yet they can make people homeless and ruin lives at will. 

“There are thousands of others suffering just like us at the hands of letting agents and landlords throughout the UK.

“We should not, and cannot, stand for it any longer so we would encourage anyone suffering to speak up now, talk to your local MP and media and act together to put a stop to this.”  

The couple’s landlord was given four working days to respond to their allegations. No comment has been received as the Cambrian News went to press.

UK Government data shows there have been 527 accelerated procedure claims in Wales between September and now – of which the vast majority are likely to be Section 21 notices. This is twice as many as any other quarter on record, with data in Wales being collected from 2009 onwards.

Section 21 notices can only be valid if the landlord has applied to a court for a possession order for the property and a warrant so that bailiffs can execute the eviction legally. 

The Cambrian News reported recently on the case of Paul Minns, aged 76, and his wife Susan, 73, who lived in their Llanbadarn Fawr home for 15 years but are now technically homeless after being served with a Section 21 – and are living in temporary accommodation provided by the county council.

They were given three months to leave their home and Susan said that the distress caused by the situation made her consider suicide.

Richard Wood, who served for 11 years in the British military including in the Falkland Islands, lives in Bridge Street.

But he too won’t be there for much longer.

The 62-year-old – who suffers with complex mental illnesses such as post-traumatic stress disorder from his time in the army – was served with a Section 21 notice in the last week of November. 

His flat block, in the heart of Aberystwyth, is painted an unmistakable yellow – the doorway propped up by scaffolding to prevent the structure falling on anyone once it finally collapses.

He says the ceiling has been leaking in the bathroom for more than eight years and the problems have not been fixed.

“I feel really anxious because I don’t know what’s going to happen because once that day comes – it’s the end of my life,” he told the Cambrian News.

“I’ve got to take everything out of here, move and find somewhere else. And doing things for myself is hard. I forget lots of things because of my mental illness. I’ve got nowhere to stay.

“I’ll be on the street. Living in my car. Or I’ll have to find a lock up which I can’t afford. It’s so worrying especially when I’ve got my dogs.

“The government should do something about it. It’s them that makes the laws so why can’t they stop landlords treating people like this?

“We’re going back to the 1750s where the landlord comes and beats the money out of you with a stick. If you don’t pay him, you’re out on the street with your stuff.

“I’ve got depression and all this just pushes me further and further down. I’ve got anxiety too.

“Keeping a car on the road these days is enough of a problem. I can’t afford to live. I can’t afford to eat a lot of the time.

“I’m sitting here thinking about suicide. I’ve tried loads of times. The only thing that stops me now are these boys [his dogs]. If I didn’t have these two – I don’t know...”

The Cambrian News contacted Tom Bignell, Mr Wood’s landlord.

Mr Bignell said: “If the notice was served prior to 1 December, there is no legal impediment on it following the Welsh law change. 

“I can reply by confirming that a legal process is underway, and it would be inappropriate to deal with matters outside of that process.”­

The Cambrian News asked regional politicians about why it was taking so long to ban no-fault evictions in Wales – or at least ban them over the coming freezing Christmas period, as called for by the Liberal Democrats in the UK. 

Plaid Cymru’s Mr ap Gwynfor said: “As winter bites, this is the worst time of year to be at risk of losing your home, and yet this is a real threat for too many households in Dwyfor Meirionnydd.

“My casework is inundated with families facing being made homeless through no fault of their own.

“We have seen a sharp increase in no fault evictions as landlords’ cash-in on inflated house prices and seeing more potential in short term lets and Airbnb’s, rather than long-term tenants.

“I have repeatedly called on the Welsh Labour government to follow the lead of the Scottish government and introduce an immediate ban on all evictions over winter, alongside a rent freeze.

“This would make sure that no-one in privately rented accommodation would be at risk of being kicked out over winter by their landlord.

“Under the terms of the new Renting Homes Wales Act, tenants will be afforded greater protections but, the evictions we’re seeing now are the result of eviction notices being handed out by landlords months ago – leading to mass evictions over Christmas.

“Every time Plaid Cymru has challenged the Welsh government on no-fault evictions – we have been voted down.

“Our government here in Wales has the power to act and they should do so by enacting a freeze on all rents, and a ban on all evictions.” 

Head of campaigns at Shelter Cymru, Jennie Bibbings told the Cambrian News: “There is an epidemic of no-fault evictions in Wales.

"It’s causing havoc in people’s lives, havoc for local authority homelessness services, and it’s causing havoc for services like ours at Shelter Cymru when we are trying so hard to keep people in their homes and stop them becoming homeless. 

“From what local authorities tell us, we understand that around half of the evictions are due to landlords wanting to sell, and many landlords don’t want to sell with tenants still living there, they have the right to evict their tenants so that they can sell with vacant possession.­

“This is because house prices are high but there’s a feeling that they might not stay high, so now is a good time to sell if you are thinking about it. 

“Until June next year, the notice period for a no-fault eviction is only two months. This is no time to pack up your life, raise funds to finance the move, and find somewhere else suitable to live.

“Rents have gone up steeply in Wales over the last year, making it much harder to find affordable homes. People end up having to leave their communities and look further away, kids have to move schools, and sometimes people having trouble getting to work. 

“At Shelter Cymru we are opposed to no-fault evictions and we want to Welsh Government to ban them.

“We were pleased that the Welsh Government acted to put six month notice periods in place, although we wanted those in place by December this year, not June next year.

“A decent notice period is a step in the right direction, although in the meantime, England is set to ban no-fault evictions completely and Scotland already banned them years ago.

“The fact that tenants can be evicted for no reason keeps them in a weak position, it keeps them from complaining or challenging their landlord on things like unfair rent rises and disrepair.

“It would not be right for Wales to be the only GB nation that still allows eviction for no reason. 

“It’s never too early or too late to get help.” 

Ceredigion County Council figures show, between July and 1 December, that there have been 50 cases of loss of rented or tied accommodation. The vast majority of these are likely to be due to Section 21 notices.

A spokesperson said: “The council approach is to prevent Section 21 notices where possible. The serving of a Section 21 notice is a matter for the landlord; however, officers will aim to prevent where possible.

“We advise anyone who believes they are at risk of homelessness or are homeless to contact the council as a matter of urgency, so we can provide correct advice and assistance as each case is unique.

“We are in regular contact with two more households who have not been included in this piece out of respect for their wishes.

“But the problem appears to be a growing one, and it seems certain the five with whom we’re in contact are far from the only ones facing homelessness this Christmas. 

“Please get in touch if you’re facing a Section 21 or the standard of your housing is below expectations."

As Mr Wood sat on the sofa which he also uses as his bed, with his dogs by his feet, he said: “I’m classed as a vulnerable adult. I have two dogs and no future. And soon I’ll have no home.”

“Should I send my landlord a Christmas card?”