‘It was chaos’: Tenants scramble to find somewhere to live after entire block evicted
Residents of an entire apartment block are scrambling to find somewhere to live after being ordered to leave their homes.
The 150 people living at Vive Living in Childers Street, Deptford, have been served Section 21 (S21) notices by their landlord, Aitch Group, since December 5.
A S21 eviction means the landlord does not need to provide a reason for eviction.
Kate Howe has lived in Vive Living for four years with her partner. She was told they will need to leave by February 20.
The 37-year-old said: “Our building group chat started going crazy. Someone said they had been served a notice, then another and another.
“It was chaos, I felt shocked and angry. The heartbreak hit me later, when I realised I will have to leave my home.”
Each resident has been given a different date by which to leave, with many of the initial notices not offering a reason for the eviction.
Ms Howe said: “It wasn’t until Aitch sent through an email to all residents that we found out.”
A spokeswoman for the property developer said the notice was issued to “facilitate the refurbishment” of the building.
She said: “The tenants have been given two months’ notice, as a minimum, in accordance with their tenancy agreements.”
But residents are sceptical of the reasoning, with the block having been newly refurbished in April 2017.
Tooba Kazmi, 31, lives with a flatmate in Vive Living. According to her eviction notice, they will be forced to leave on February 16.
She said: “It’s been a really unstable year, I lost my job and I’m currently on a contract.
“This was the maximum rent we were able to pay. If my flatmate moves back to the Midlands, I will have to move out of London, I can’t afford it by myself.”
Another tenant, Aimee Smith, 39, described feeling a “horrible sense of doom” when she received her notice, which ordered her and her partner to leave by March 25, 2025.
The secondary school teacher said: “I have no idea what to do, it’s the end of term. I’m trying to plan for Christmas.
“Our other options are £300 to £400 more a month, which will strip our savings.”
Ms Smith works in Southwark, a borough where four schools have closed in the past two years due to falling rolls.
She said: “There’s a recruitment crisis in teaching. I love my job but I can’t afford to live here.
“At school we have so many children living in temporary accommodation, having to drop and pick up their lives every time they have to move.
“It’s horrible to see amazing kids treated like that.”
Despite Aitch having issued a group email to inform all tenants they will be evicted, some have still not received their notices.
Caroline Rosello, a 28-year-old art manager, said: “Our flatmate moved in three weeks ago and we know Aitch has to wait four months before serving an eviction.
“We are guessing it will come in around March but we’re in complete limbo.”
Since moving to London seven years ago, Ms Rosello says she has had to move every three years due to rent increases.
She said: “It’s like being in a race between my career and the market, and the market always wins.
“It makes me lose faith in the system – you do everything right, you get an education, a good job and it still brings chaos and stress.”
The building’s cafe manager, Paulo, is also a tenant. He has been served an eviction notice meaning he will lose both his home and his business.
Despite reeling from the shock of eviction, tenants organised themselves within a week of the first notice being issued, setting up social media accounts and hosting meetings with lawyers and councillors. Their change.org petition has racked up more than 25,000 signatures in seven days.
Ms Smith said: “It makes a massive difference, that feeling of community, that we have some agency.”
Will Cooper, Lewisham council’s cabinet member for housing, has been meeting with tenants to offer advice and outline their rights.
Cllr Cooper, Vicky Foxcroft MP, Deptford councillors and the chairman of the Housing Committee have written to the landlord asking for immediate action to halt the evictions, but Aitch has refused to meet them.
Section 21 is due to be banned in the government’s Renters’ Rights Bill. According to figures from the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), 8,425 households were served S21 notices from July to September this year, the highest number in eight years.
A spokeswoman from Aitch Group said: “We have facilitated early access to tenant deposits to assist with relocation costs and facilitating nearby alternative accommodation options within the area.”
Pictured top: Kate Howe has been ordered to leave her home by February 20 (Picture: Claudia Lee)