A SHOCKED resident has slammed their landlord for evicting them and 150 of their neighbours from an 83-flat block just weeks before Christmas.
Single mum Nicole Ka is one of the tenants residing at Vive Living in Deptford, south east London, and feels “lost” at the situation.
She was one of 150 neighbours to receive a Section 21 eviction notice, meaning their landlord wants them to leave and does not need to provide a reason for eviction.
Nicole told the BBC how the announcement has dampened their festivities and made it difficult to keep things “normal”.
The single mum is also worried for how to fill out school admission forms for her son, who’s set to go to school next year, as she is unsure where she’ll be living.
All 83 flats in the building on Childers Street received their notices over December, with Freya Volk finding out she must leave by March 1 just hours after signing her contract.
The same day she signed paperwork and paid her deposit, her new flatmate was served an eviction notice.
She described how it has always been difficult to find a place in her decade of living in London, but that it has “never been this hard.”
Section 21 notices, sometimes called “no-fault” notices, can be challenged by tenants but this could mean they incur court costs in the proceedings.
Aitch Group, which owns the building, said tenants were asked to leave to facilitate refurbishments, and added nobody had been told to leave before Christmas.
It added that the notice had been issued to tenants with a minimum of two months’ notice, which it said was “in accordance with their tenancy agreements.”
However, residents argue the claimed refurbishment works cannot be justified, as the building only opened seven years ago.
The company has also claimed the “multi-million-pound refurbishment” would “not require any planning permission” and is estimated to take six to nine months.
Kate Howe, who has lived in the property since February 2021, said she took issue with refurbishment being given as the reason for the evictions.
She claimed the building was newly refurbished in April 2017, and hopes that together the neighbours can stop the evictions.
Section 21 is due to be banned under the Government’s Renters’ Rights Bill, with Kate highlighting that issues like this would keep arising until the law is passed.
A local councillor said that no residents have reported serious building defects since the structure’s completion in 2017.
They added that no planning applications to make substantial changes to the building have been submitted to Lewisham Council.
Many residents feel this lack of planning permission gives the landlord no right to evict them.
The number of Section 21 evictions being issued has increased, with 8,425 households being served with the notices between July and September this year, the highest amount in eight years, according to figures from the Ministry of Justice.
Five local councillors and Labour’s Lewisham North MP Vicky Foxcroft have demanded a meeting with property management company Aitch Group.
In a joint letter, they condemned the management company’s actions, saying: “This is not a fair or respectful way to treat people who you are asking to leave properties which, in many cases, have been their homes for several years.”
Will Cooper, housing lead for Lewisham Council, said that renters should be aware of their rights, especially as there’s a fear that more landlords will issues Section 21 notices over the next six months.
He said how there are 11,000 people on the housing waiting list for the council, with 3,000 households in temporary accommodation.
Another tenant, Kamelia Yotava, described how she’s constantly stressed by the situation and that she’s even begun to lose her hair.
The mass eviction will be staggered over the coming months, with Kamelia being forced out of her home by February 21.
She worries about getting through the difficult Christmas period, with people across the building being stressed about moving.
Kamelia said: “It’s not humane what they are doing.”
The building contains 83 apartments, with a two-bedroom flat costing around £2,000 a month.
The Sun has approached Aitch Group for comment.
Source: Citizens Advice
