'Mass eviction' claims as tenants told to leave

More than 100 tenants privately renting in homes owned by one of London's biggest landlords have been given as little as two months' eviction notice, the BBC understands.

They say they have been served Section 21 notices, known as no-fault evictions, by Criterion Capital. From 1 May no‑fault evictions will be abolished in England, ending landlords' ability to evict without a legal reason.

Criterion Capital, owner of prominent real estate in London including the Trocadero Centre, says there is "no attempt to accelerate action ahead of legislative reform".

The prime minister has asked the housing secretary to investigate and the mayor of London says it's "unacceptable to force people out of their homes for no good reason".

Alessio Ambrosj and his partner have rented a flat privately in Britannia Point in Colliers Wood, south-west London, for four years. They say they were very surprised to receive a notice from the landlord terminating their tenancy in two months' time.

"Two months is madness. It's like, move your home to somewhere else in two months. It's incredibly hard, incredibly unjust.

"It was a shock, to be honest. It was a shock that this was legal. I think it's going to wreak havoc on many families, families with disabled children, it's going to be a very hard time for them."

The building manager presented them with the necessary documents needed ahead of issuing a Section 21 notice, which includes a gas safety certificate and an energy performance certificate, two days before they received notice to leave.

Alessio said at first he thought the landlord was being helpful, before he realised what was happening.

The local councillor for Merton, Stuart Neaverson, has taken up their case, along with more than 100 affected tenants. He said he was aware of at least three other blocks in Merton and Croydon where tenants had received similar notifications.

"One of the big problems is we just don't know how big this is. We know this block is hit and hundreds of residents here affected but also know of three other buildings that have seen similar mass evictions, but there is also a potentially much larger scale that we're still trying to get to the bottom of," Neaverson said.

The MP for Mitcham and Morden, Siobhain McDonagh, is concerned not only about the scale of the notices but the timing too.

At Prime Minister's Questions last week, she raised the matter, saying at least 130 people were being asked to move out.

She told Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer: "Silently and in semi-secrecy London and the South East of England are experiencing the largest mass eviction by a private landlord in decades.

"Criterion Capital have issued at least 130 no-fault evictions across their portfolio including in Britannia Point in my constituency. Those affected have done nothing wrong."

She went on to ask the government to do all it could to hold Criterion Capital to account. The prime minister has asked Housing Secretary Steve Reed to investigate the matter.

The notices were served weeks before a change in the law comes into force banning Section 21 notice evictions.

In an interview with BBC London, McDonagh said: "You can only assume it's because the law will change in May and a landlord will need a reason to evict their tenants, whether it's not paying their rent, not looking after the property or because the landlord wants to live in the property themselves and none of these things are going to apply in this particular case."

A tenant living in Criterion-owned Emerald House in Merton said she did not understand why she had been asked to leave.

"I spent a fortune furnishing it and am settled," said the tenant, who preferred to remain anonymous. "The thought of having to pack everything up and find somewhere else is a nightmare."

She pays £1,675 a month and says it will be difficult to find anything as affordable in south-west London.

Criterion Capital told BBC London that "where tenants wish to remain, we have communicated that we are open to discussing renewed tenancy arrangements".

However, the resident explained that she had been unable to communicate with Criterion Capital to make arrangements.

All of the tenants we spoke to who had received Section 21 notices are private tenants but several of the blocks also house people living in temporary accommodation paid for by local authorities.

Criterion Capital's website states it has over £9bn deployed across 58 properties and 1,500 affordable apartments for rent in prime urban locations.

We asked the company about the timing of the notices served on tenants renting privately.

In a statement, the firm said: "A limited number of statutory notices were lawfully served in respect of periodic tenancies held by private tenants paying market rents.

"These formed part of standard asset management processes to review and regularise occupation terms. There has been no policy of vacating entire buildings, nor any attempt to accelerate action ahead of legislative reform.

"Only a small proportion of tenants across the portfolio, fewer than 5%, have been served notice.

"No fixed-term tenancy has been terminated prematurely, and the overwhelming majority of tenants remain unaffected.

"Claims that 'hundreds' of tenants are being evicted, or that this amounts to a 'mass eviction' across London, are factually incorrect. The repetition of those assertions has distorted the truth."

We asked for clarification as to how many households made up the 5% figure but received no response.

A statement issued on behalf of London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan said: "The mayor is appalled at reports Criterion Capital are mass evicting Londoners from their homes. We have written to them and asked them to urgently explain their actions.

"It is unacceptable to force Londoners out of their homes for no good reason – it leaves residents in an awful position, scared about the future for themselves and their family."

A spokesperson for the government told the BBC: "Whilst this alleged practice of carrying out mass evictions right before our reforms may be legal, it is highly immoral.

"We are closely following the case and considering what action the government can take. On 1 May, we will abolish Section 21 and eradicate this type of behaviour permanently."

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