A judge has ordered a landlord to pay more than £35,000 after illegally evicting a mother of three and locking her out of her home.
The tenant, who had rented the property for more than a decade, contacted Harrow Law Centre after returning from a family holiday to discover the landlord had changed the locks and removed all her possessions.
She had travelled abroad with her children, aged 12, 8 and 5, having agreed with the landlord that he would do some work on the kitchen while she was away. When the family returned, they were unable to access the property.
Irreplaceable items lost
According to Harrowonlione, the landlord put the family’s belongings into storage. Some items were later recovered, but others, including irreplaceable family photographs, were never recovered.
It meant the mother was forced to buy new school uniforms and lunch boxes at the start of term. With nowhere to live, the council placed the family in temporary accommodation many miles away, disrupting both schooling and family life.
Harrow Law Centre took up her case and issued a civil claim for illegal eviction. The landlord argued that the tenancy had been surrendered, but the court found no evidence to support it, and, after a last-minute attempt to adjourn the trial was rejected, the judge ruled in the tenant’s favour.
Tenants can face a real uphill struggle in asserting their rights against private landlords.”
Radhika Shah, Housing Solicitor at Harrow Law Centre, says: “Tenants can face a real uphill struggle in asserting their rights against private landlords.
“An illegal eviction is a criminal offence but Police often decline to intervene—viewing it as a civil matter—and local authorities frequently lack the resources to act and enforce their powers.
“But tenants should know that legal aid is available for civil claims against rogue landlords, and they do not have to face these situations alone.”
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