Eviction Notices Issued to Over 100 Tenants by Major London Landlord
More than 100 tenants renting privately in properties owned by one of London's largest landlords have reportedly been given eviction notices with as little as two months' warning, according to the BBC.
The tenants have been served Section 21 notices, which allow landlords to evict tenants without providing a reason. This type of no-fault eviction will be abolished in England from 1 May, ending landlords' ability to evict without a legal cause.
Criterion Capital, which owns significant London real estate including the Trocadero Centre, stated there is "no attempt to accelerate action ahead of legislative reform." The prime minister has requested the housing secretary to investigate the situation, and the mayor of London has condemned the evictions as "unacceptable to force people out of their homes for no good reason."
'Incredibly unjust'
Alessio Ambrosj and his partner have rented a flat in Britannia Point, Colliers Wood, south-west London, for four years. They expressed shock upon receiving a notice terminating their tenancy with only two months' notice.
"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 provided them with required documents, including a gas safety certificate and an energy performance certificate, two days before issuing the Section 21 notice. Alessio initially believed the landlord was being helpful before realizing the eviction was imminent.
Local councillor Stuart Neaverson has taken up the case for Alessio and over 100 other affected tenants. He is aware of at least three other blocks in Merton and Croydon where tenants have received similar eviction notices.
"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.
'Largest mass eviction'
Siobhain McDonagh, the Member of Parliament for Mitcham and Morden, has raised concerns about both the scale and timing of the eviction notices.
During Prime Minister's Questions last week, she stated that at least 130 people had been asked to vacate their homes.
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."
McDonagh urged the government to hold Criterion Capital accountable. The prime minister has since asked Housing Secretary Steve Reed to investigate.
The notices were served weeks before the legal ban on Section 21 evictions takes effect.
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."
Tenant Experiences and Responses
A tenant residing in Emerald House, a Criterion-owned building in Merton, expressed confusion over being asked to leave.
"I spent a fortune furnishing it and am settled," said the tenant, who wished to remain anonymous. "The thought of having to pack everything up and find somewhere else is a nightmare."
She pays £1,675 monthly rent and anticipates difficulty finding similarly affordable accommodation in south-west London.
Criterion Capital told BBC London that they are open to discussing renewed tenancy arrangements with tenants wishing to remain.
However, the tenant reported difficulty in communicating with the company to make such arrangements.
All tenants interviewed who received Section 21 notices are private renters, although several buildings also accommodate individuals in temporary housing funded by local authorities.
Criterion Capital's Position and Portfolio
Criterion Capital's website states it manages over £9 billion in assets across 58 properties and provides 1,500 affordable apartments for rent in prime urban locations.
When questioned about the timing of the eviction notices, the company issued a statement:
"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."
Requests for clarification on the exact number of households represented by the 5% figure were not answered.
Criterion Capital's CEO is billionaire Asif Aziz, who also runs a charitable foundation sponsoring community events such as the 2026 Ramadan lights in central London.
Official Responses
A statement from 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 government spokesperson 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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