Sadiq Khan ‘appalled’ after billionaire landlord’s company accused of mass evictions in London
London Mayor Sadiq Khan has written to billionaire Asif Aziz over claims his property company is carrying out “mass evictions” of London residents using soon-to-be-banned Section 21 notices.
A landlord has been accused of “unacceptable” practices after controversial “no fault” eviction notices were issued to scores of private tenants at properties owned by his company, Criterion Capital.
The buildings affected are believed to be Britannia Point in Colliers Wood, Delta Point in Croydon and Emerald House in New Malden. There are a total of 606 flats in the buildings.
Property company Criterion Capital, which also owns the Trocadeo building in Leicester Square, said it was incorrect to state that hundreds of residents had been issued with eviction notices, but refused to share exactly how many eviction notices had been issued. He stated that these were “routine and legal tenancy matters” and denied that he was expediting actions ahead of legislative reform.
A spokesman for the Mayor of London said Mr Khan was “appalled” by the reports and had written to Criterion Capital asking the company to “urgently explain its actions”.
“Forcing Londoners to leave their homes for no reason is unacceptable, leaving residents in a dire situation and fearful for the future of themselves and their families,” they added.
Through his family’s charity, the Aziz Foundation, Mr Aziz has teamed up with the Mayor of London every year since 2023 to sponsor the official Ramadan Lights unveiling, which took place as recently as February 14.
In a letter sent directly to Mr Aziz on Friday, the mayor asked for “immediate clarification”, following up on an earlier request from London’s deputy mayor to feature Tom Copley.
Mr Khan wrote: “No such explanation has been forthcoming and you have provided no assurances about the safety of residents. This has created an increasingly worrying and uncertain situation for tenants, especially now that new allegations are being made against us regarding evictions which are already ongoing.”
“The right to decent, safe and stable housing is a fundamental right and I oppose the use of Section 21 no-fault evictions, let alone the potential for them to be used on a mass scale.”
Section 21 notices give landlords the power to evict tenants from their properties with two months’ notice and without needing to give a reason. They will be banned from May under Labour’s flagship Tenants’ Rights Bill. Housing campaigners fear notices could be used more frequently ahead of lockdown.
Housing charity Shelter described notices as “one of the leading causes of homelessness” because they give tenants little notice of finding a new property to rent and often arrive without notice.
Merton councilor Stuart Neaverson said Criterion Capital’s alleged actions would be “the largest mass eviction London has seen in recent years” and added: “The Colliers Wood community is furious.”
He said: “More than 150 residents held a community meeting on Saturday to send a clear message: People will not quietly accept being driven from their homes. They should hang their heads in shame and reconsider their appalling behaviour.”
It is understood that a number of residents have been issued with Section 21 notices over the last few months, starting in January. the Based in London reported on friday.
Following the local media outlet’s initial report on February 23, residents claimed they were personally visited at their apartments and told their notices had been canceled by someone claiming to be a representative of Criterion Capital. According to the publication, this decision was later overturned again.
Clare, a resident of Emerald House in New Malden, said: Independent He said he was “shocked” after receiving the notification.
“I was just staring at the letter and then I burst into tears. I’ve spent the last 12 months furnishing the flat to make it feel like home and now I’m being told I have to leave in a few months and even though I’ve been a respectful tenant who’s always paid the rent on time, there’s nothing I can do,” she said.
“I’m worried I won’t be able to find the right apartment in time, so I’ll have to pack my belongings into storage and move back to my family three hours away.
“Obviously it’s having an impact on work, social life, mental health… and it’s hard to focus on much else right now. I still don’t believe they can get out of this.”
A spokesperson for Criterion Capital said stories about the alleged evictions were “materially misrepresented and routine and legal tenancy matters were politicised”.
They added: “These are commercial matters between private contracting parties. A limited number of statutory notices have been lawfully served, in full compliance with the Housing Act 2004, in relation to periodic tenancies of private tenants paying market rents. This formed part of a standard asset management process to regulate terms of use.”
“There has been no policy to evacuate entire buildings or any attempt to expedite action ahead of legislative reform.”
The spokesman added that a “small proportion” of tenants in Criterion’s portfolio, equivalent to “less than 5 per cent”, had been notified, meaning the “overwhelming majority of residents were not affected”.
They also add that claims that “hundreds” of tenants have been evicted or that there has been a “mass eviction” are false. The company did not provide details on how many reports it had made.
“Housing issues are sensitive and should be discussed on the basis of verified facts rather than expanded misinformation,” they write.
Criterion also takes issue with the characterization that tenants “became homeless” because of their actions, arguing that it “demonstrates a fundamental misunderstanding of both the law and the complex social issues that lead to actual homelessness.” Dame Siobhain McDonagh, Labor MP for Mitcham and Morden, said last week she was “extremely concerned” by the number of residents at Britannia Point who “may now be facing homelessness”.
“The routine conclusion of private sector periodic tenancies in accordance with statutory notice provisions is not synonymous with homelessness.
“These are market rented tenancies and residents have access to alternative accommodation within the private rental sector.”
Section 21 notices sent to and seen by residents of different locations Independent Identify the same manager as the sender, but both be affiliated with separate companies with the same address in the Isle of Man.
The Aziz Foundation was founded in 2015 and funds grants and internships to support British Muslims. Mr Aziz was previously appointed to the board of Mosaic, a leadership program founded by King Charles in 2007.
A spokesman for the Mayor of London said: “The Mayor is appalled by reports that Criterion Capital are mass evacuating Londoners from their homes. “We have written to them and asked them to explain their actions urgently.
“Sadiq has always been clear that every Londoner deserves the security and dignity of a stable home. But unfortunately we know that the biggest cause of homelessness is Section 21 ‘no fault’ eviction.
“We therefore welcome changes to this Government’s ground-breaking Tenant Rights Bill, which will ban Section 21 evictions in England from 1 May 2026.”
