More than 150 residents at a development on southeast London are facing eviction after they were served with Section 21 notices just weeks before Christmas.
Many of the tenants living in Vive Living, Childers Street in Deptford have already been served with a Section 21 notice. Others living in the southeast London development have been told to expect a notice in due course.
A letter sent to residents informed them that due to “upcoming refurbishment of the building” all apartments must be vacated.
“As part of this process, you will be issued a formal notice of possession, which will specify the date by which you will need to vacate your apartment,” the letter added.
No residents have reported serious building defects, which was completed in 2017, and no planning applications to make substantial changes to the building have been submitted to Lewisham Council, a local councillor said.
“As part of this process, you will be issued a formal notice of possession, which will specify the date by which you will need to vacate your apartment,” the letter added.
No residents have reported serious building defects, which was completed in 2017, and no planning applications to make substantial changes to the building have been submitted to Lewisham Council, a local councillor said.
The building features 83 flats, with a two-bedroom flat costing around £2,000 a month.
A joint letter to the property developer Aitch Group, sent by the local MP, Ward Councillors and the Chair of the Lewisham Housing Committee, said they are “dismayed that Aitch Group have chosen to abruptly issue these notices weeks before Christmas.”
“The private rental market in the North of Lewisham is overburdened, unaffordable and difficult to navigate at the best of times,” the letter said.
“Now, in a usually quiet period, you risk flooding the market with newly evicted tenants. We are extremely concerned at the possibility of there being too few homes for the people you plan to make homeless.”
Campaigners have warned landlords are rushing to force out tenants as Labour’s Section 21 evictions looms.
The government has pledged to outlaw Section 21 evictions, with the ban expected to be implemented by next summer.
Ministry of Justice figures showed that, between July and September, 8,425 households in England were served with Section 21 notices – an eight year high.
A spokesperson for Aitch Group told the press: “Aitch Group have issued a section 21 notice to tenants at the Vive Living development in Deptford to facilitate the refurbishment of the building.
“The tenants have been given two months’ notice, as a minimum, in accordance with their tenancy agreements. We are working with residents to assist them with their relocations.”
I know of one Landlord giving 20 units notice in early January and going off on holiday for the month.
This is successive government constant rule changes-nobody can predict what’s around the corner, at least with other investments you have a chance of winning without the goal post constantly changing.
You must be logged in to like or dislike this comments.
Click to login
Don't have an account? Click here to register
Luckily shelter will find them accommodation.
You must be logged in to like or dislike this comments.
Click to login
Don't have an account? Click here to register
Maybe changes are needed to reach an EPC of C but who knows why these folks are being evicted? With rents at £2,000 surely it can’t be just to increase rents. Government do offer incentives to landlords to house migrants but most smaller private landlords have refused preferring to rent to locals. Large conglomerates do not have the same principles but this is what Governments want.
You must be logged in to like or dislike this comments.
Click to login
Don't have an account? Click here to register
Built in 2017. Shouldn’t need refurbishment. If it was to sell, that would be a valid ground. Will be interesting to follow this one.
You must be logged in to like or dislike this comments.
Click to login
Don't have an account? Click here to register
Concur with the above, best they contact Shelter and then Generation Rent and then their local councilor to thank them for this awful Christmas gift they cant take back for a refund that they now have as an ‘unintended consequence’ of those people poking around in something they choose to vilify rather than truly take the time to understand!
You must be logged in to like or dislike this comments.
Click to login
Don't have an account? Click here to register