A Labour donor’s company has been accused of serving “hundreds” of tenants at a south-west London residential development with eviction notices ahead of the abolition of no-fault evictions, eliciting fierce criticism from City Hall.
The notices were issued to residents at Britannia Point in Colliers Wood by Criterion Capital. The company was founded by property investor Asif Aziz (pictured) and has a £9bn property portfolio in the UK and Europe.
The firm has previously donated £50,000 to the Labour Party, while the Aziz Foundation, a charity set up by Aziz, has funded interns in MPs’ offices through donations in kind listed in the parliamentary register of interests.
A spokesman for the Mayor of London said Sadiq Khan was “appalled” by reports of alleged mass evictions. The spokesperson said: “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 short-sighted and cynical attempt to bypass the rules and show a disregard for the very spirit of this much-needed legislation.”
Tom Copley, Deputy Mayor for Housing and Residential Development, wrote to the company urging it to “urgently reconsider”, saying he was seeking clarification over reports that it was set to remove “hundreds of Londoners” from their homes.
He said: “To evict tenants shortly before the implementation of the Act would be a short-sighted and cynical attempt to bypass the rules and show a disregard for the very spirit of this much-needed legislation.”
Alarmed
Dame Siobhain McDonagh, Labour MP for Mitcham and Morden, added that she was “extremely concerned” about residents who “may now face homelessness”, and that she was “alarmed at the number of tenants who reported receiving eviction notices”.
According to the Telegraph, Criterion Capital strongly denied claims of mass evictions, describing the issue as a “routine and lawful tenancy matter”.
A spokesman said only a small proportion of tenants had been served notice as part of a standard asset management process and that “the overwhelming majority of residents remain unaffected”.
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