Police eviction rent cuts insulting, say families

A pregnant mother facing eviction from subsidised police housing says the force's latest concessions "do not go far enough" and branded a rent reduction "insulting".

Section 21 "no fault" eviction notices were given to officers across Surrey so the force could make houses available to new staff.

About 21 families were given 12 weeks to leave the properties many believed they could occupy for the duration of their service, said the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Following criticism, the force extended the moving deadline to 18 July and announced a 50% rent cut until tenants vacate, described as a "gesture of goodwill" from Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Lisa Townsend.

The Surrey police and crime commissioner's (PCC) office owns a number of properties, which it then rents out to officers at subsidised rates in order to help "ensure that the high cost of accommodation in our area is not a barrier to those wishing to join us".

The mother, who asked not to be named, said the measures failed to address the core issue of affordability.

She said even with reduced rent, her family must find about £5,500 in upfront costs and then an additional £1,500 a month in private rent.

"We feel as if the rug has been pulled out from under our feet," she said.

She said tenants had previously been told their housing arrangements would not change, including during refurbishment works in December 2024 when families were asked to help design renovations.

With more notice, she said, they could have saved towards a move, adding: "We're not sitting on pots of money."

While the mother accepts her household no longer meets Surrey Police's updated eligibility criteria, which includes a joint income limit of £80,000, she argues the policy does not consider the retention of experienced officers.

She has warned some could be pushed out of the force because they cannot afford to live in the county.

She also raised concerns about the risk of being placed in emergency temporary accommodation, saying it could split her family, and might be unsafe.

Liberal Democrat MPs in Surrey have urged the PCC to rethink the policy.

Guildford MP Zoe Franklin said there was no "legal cliff edge" requiring evictions ahead of the introduction of the Renters' Rights law and argued police forces would still be able to recover service-linked accommodation where genuinely needed.

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