Woman evicted from flat two hours after paying deposit

A woman was served an eviction notice just two hours after signing a contract and paying the deposit on an apartment for no ‘clear reason’.

She’s among the more than 150 residents in 83 flats who face being kicked out of their homes at Vive Living, on Childers Street in Deptford, London, days before Christmas.

Another, Maryam Ahmed, 32, only moved in six months ago. She told The Independent: ‘Receiving the recent eviction notice has turned my life upside down, leaving me overwhelmed and distressed.’

The Section 21 notice – or ‘no fault eviction’ – has been an unwelcome addition to her ongoing health problems affecting her right hand.

Facing a possible surgery on the horizon, she said: ‘Instead of focusing on my health and recovery, I find myself scrambling to pack up my belongings – one-handed – and searching for a new place to live.

‘The thought of delaying essential medical treatment because I need to prioritise relocating is devastating.’

Nicola Ka, 26 has lived here for two years with her three-year-old son, who she now fears will be deprived ‘of a simple and secure life’.

The greengrocer, small business owner and student said: ‘This is a time of the year when I should be putting forward admissions for his primary school, and preparing a memorable holiday season.

‘But with the thought of facing homelessness with a child, I struggle with a level of anxiety I’ve never felt before.’

In a statement, residents described the eviction notices as ‘intimidating’, saying: ‘Our local community, wider London, and all of the UK are suffering from a housing and cost of living crisis.

‘It is virtually impossible to find suitable, affordable housing in an already flooded, overpriced market. The local housing market cannot accommodate hundreds of us needing immediate rehousing.’

Section 21 notices are expected to be banned when the Renters’ Rights Bill likely becomes law in the first half of next year.

Residents suspect the landlord is turfing them out now while eviction is still this easy, a move they describe as ‘predatory’.

A letter from the landlord claimed residents must leave to facilitate ‘upcoming refurbishment of the building’, which was finished in 2017, The Independent reports.

But residents report no serious defects, and the landlord has submitted no plans for substantial changes to Lewisham Council, a local councillor said.

Along with the local MP Vicky Foxcroft, other ward councillors, and chair of Lewisham’s housing committee, they sent a letter to property developer Aitch Group expressing ‘dismay’ at the decision ‘to abruptly issue these notices weeks before Christmas’.

They said: ‘The private rental market in the North of Lewisham is overburdened, unaffordable and difficult to navigate at the best of times.

‘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.’

More than 100,000 households have been evicted since Theresa May promised to ban Section 21 notices in April 2019, and rates surged after a pause on evictions during the Covid-19 pandemic.

They reached an eight-year high this year, with such Section 21 notices served to 8,425 households in England between July and September.

Residents of Vive’s 83 apartments in Deprtford said: ‘This behaviour is repugnant, and we are standing together to fight it.’

A spokesperson for Aitch Group told The Independent: ‘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.’

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