Eviction: A Social History of Rent

by Jessica Field

A cautionary tale of rent, precarity, and poor-quality housing that upturns the triumphal narrative of the welfare state, from award-winning historian

In 2017, Jessica Field’s parents and 69 of their neighbours received warning of imminent eviction. Their corporate landlord sought to demolish their affordable private rented homes and replace them with middle-class houses for sale. Together, the women of the estate set up an anti-eviction campaign to save their tenant community.

The neighbourhood was the last surviving part of a National Coal Board estate, originally built in the 1950s to house local mineworkers. It was dubbed  ‘Cardboard City’ because of its poor quality, prefabricated construction; houses were put up by unskilled workers in less than two weeks apiece. They were costly to build, costly to maintain and, by the 1980s, rendered defective. When the pits closed and the Coal Board needed to get rid of its housing stock, whole estates were then auctioned off to speculators – heralding the financialisation of social housing and putting low-income tenants at the mercy of global investors. Renters were swindled every step of the way. But time and again tenant activists – especially women – have fought back.

In telling the history of Cardboard City and the wider history of housebuilding-for-rent, Eviction offers an alternative history of social housing as well as a celebration of women-led tenant activism fighting against profiteering landlords.

Genres: Nonfiction

288 pages, Hardcover

Published September 16, 2025

Reviews

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

An exceptionally well written account, informed by first hand experience, of the dire state of the British housing system. Jessica cuts to the heart of the problem both historically and structurally, exploring the themes of ‘Housing as a Capital Commodity’ and not as a fundamental, human right. Jessica adeptly explores historical examples of tenant-activist movements and the situations that necessitated them, including that of her own family in Leeds. Beyond the incredible content, Jessica writes in a very engaging and accessible way, allowing the reader to understand - on a human level - the issues that led to the situation we find ourselves in today. I look forward to reading more of Jessica’s work in future.

[Lauren Barnes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Insightful and often unsettling look at how rent has shaped housing, power, and inequality over time. What I found most compelling was the way it connects historical housing systems to the challenges real people are facing today, showing that today’s affordability crisis is rooted in long-standing political and economic choices. It’s well researched and persuasive, but still accessible, and it left me thinking differently about the role of housing in shaping people’s lives. Left me in tears with a strong desire for action. A really valuable read for anyone interested in housing, inequality, or how policy decisions affect everyday life.

[Colin Cox · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grounded in the resources of personal experience, Eviction: A Social History of Rent weaves a captivating story about rent inequality in late 20th and early 21st century Great Britain. While Field's personal history and experiences inform her exploration of rent heavily, Eviction: A Social History of Rent blends the personal with the scholarly. That is to say, Eviction: A Social History of Rent is as much a piece of scholarship as it is a personal testimony.

[Lola Dickinson]

3rd book of 2026.

Enjoyed this !!!! Eat landlords !!!!!