Less than three weeks before Christmas, all residents of an apartment block in south-east London have been served Section 21 eviction notices, forcing them to leave their homes. The sudden eviction order affects 150 tenants at Vive Living in Deptford, leaving many distressed and uncertain about their future.
“I feel lost,” says single mother Nicole Ka. “I’m trying to make Christmas as normal as possible, but this isn’t normal.” Nicole, who lives with her three-year-old son, now faces the uncertainty of where they will live, especially as she prepares for her child’s school admissions next year.
The building’s owner, Aitch Group, issued the Section 21 notices, stating the evictions are necessary to “facilitate refurbishments” of the apartments and communal areas. A spokesperson for Aitch Group clarified that no tenant has been asked to leave before Christmas, with residents given at least two months’ notice in accordance with tenancy agreements.
“The building has been intensively occupied since it opened over seven years ago,” Aitch Group explained, adding that the multi-million-pound refurbishment project is expected to take six to nine months and does not require planning permission. They also mentioned facilitating early access to deposits to help residents relocate.
Residents Question Eviction Reasoning
Many residents remain skeptical about the refurbishment justification. Kate Howe, who has lived in the property since February 2021, said:
“The building was newly refurbished in April 2017, so I don’t believe this is true. Collectively, we want to stop this and highlight the issue publicly. Section 21 evictions are being banned for a reason, but until that happens, more people will suffer.”
Section 21, commonly referred to as “no-fault” eviction, allows landlords to evict tenants without providing a reason.
Although tenants can challenge the notice in court, this process often comes with financial burdens such as court costs.
The government’s Renters’ Rights Bill, which aims to ban Section 21 evictions, is still pending. Ministry of Justice (MoJ) figures reveal a rise in these evictions, with 8,425 households served Section 21 notices between July and September 2023—the highest in eight years.
Tenants Struggle with Stress and Uncertainty
The mass eviction has left residents grappling with emotional and financial stress. Kamelia Yotava, who received her notice to leave by 21 February, expressed her anguish:
“Emotionally, this is a big stress. I’ve started to lose my hair. Instead of enjoying the holidays with family, we’re stressing about finding somewhere to live. There aren’t many houses available, and now 150 of us are competing for the same places.”
In the building’s café, tenants gathered to meet with Lewisham Council representatives to discuss their rights and next steps. Paulo, the café manager and tenant, fears for his livelihood:
“I’ll lose my home, my business—everything. This is all we have.”
Will Cooper, housing lead for Lewisham Council, highlighted the growing pressure on housing services:
“We have 11,000 people on the housing waiting list and 3,000 households in temporary accommodation. Section 21 evictions make a difficult situation even worse.”
Government Response to Section 21 Concerns
The Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government stated:
“The Renters’ Rights Bill will introduce a transformative tenancy system, immediately ending Section 21 evictions for all existing and new tenants. The Bill ensures landlords have strong grounds to reclaim properties when necessary.”
However, for residents at Vive Living, the promise of future legislation offers little comfort this holiday season. As mass evictions stagger over the next few months, tenants face the challenge of finding new homes in an already strained rental market.
“This isn’t humane,” Ms. Yotava concluded. “We’re being forced out during Christmas, adding even more stress to an already difficult situation.”
