Our landlord knocked on door and said ‘get out’ with just THREE WEEKS’ notice – they say our flat is a ‘safety hazard’

RESIDENTS of an estate say they are “devastated” after being kicked out of their homes over fire fears – with just three weeks’ notice. Families living in the Ledbury Estate in Peckham, south-east London, have suddenly been asked to leave their homes over claims that safety risks have worsened. SWNSResidents of Ledbury Estate have been told they must move out as soon as possible[/caption] SWNSSouthwark Council said the reason for the move stems from a recent fire safety check[/caption] SWNSThe three tower blocks affected by the eviction are Skenfrith, Peterchurch and Sarnsfield[/caption] More than 130 households received a knock at the door on July 31 explaining they had merely three weeks to pack their things. Longtime residents of the three affected tower blocks say they are “shocked” and “traumatised” by the news – with many fearing they will be sent far away from their work and schools. Southwark Council has pledged to find those affected new homes. We are d

General Aug 12, 2024 0 46 Add to Reading List

Our landlord knocked on door and said ‘get out’ with just THREE WEEKS’ notice – they say our flat is a ‘safety hazard’

RESIDENTS of an estate say they are “devastated” after being kicked out of their homes over fire fears – with just three weeks’ notice.

Families living in the Ledbury Estate in Peckham, south-east London, have suddenly been asked to leave their homes over claims that safety risks have worsened.

a man and a woman are posing for a picture and the woman is wearing a shirt that says hope

Residents of Ledbury Estate have been told they must move out as soon as possible[/caption]

a bicycle is parked in front of a building that has scaffolding around it

Southwark Council said the reason for the move stems from a recent fire safety check[/caption]

a row of tall brick buildings with a lot of windows

The three tower blocks affected by the eviction are Skenfrith, Peterchurch and Sarnsfield[/caption]

More than 130 households received a knock at the door on July 31 explaining they had merely three weeks to pack their things.

Longtime residents of the three affected tower blocks say they are “shocked” and “traumatised” by the news – with many fearing they will be sent far away from their work and schools.

Southwark Council has pledged to find those affected new homes.

We are devastated

But Saham Paras has been living in her home for two years with her disabled father.

The nursery worker says that the pair were told five days ago that they needed to move out and had to exit the property on August 7.

She said: “We are moving. They knocked on the door and told us that we need to leave but we don’t understand why.

“My father has special needs and can’t speak English very well so he was really confused when they came to the door and told him we had to leave.

“They said that they would help me to move the furniture but that it would take ten days and I am going out of the country this week.

“I am not happy with this process. It is good that they want to help people but not at this short notice.”

The 31-year-old said she has always felt safe in her current flat and believes the new accommodation is more far more dangerous.

The three tower blocks affected by the eviction are Skenfrith, Peterchurch and Sarnsfield.

Southwark Council said the reason for the move stems from a recent fire safety check which revealed that existing problems have worsened.

When these issues were combined with the storage of lithium batteries it was agreed that the residents couldn’t live in the towers long-term.

Kenesha Gint, 46, has lived in her block for four years along with her son Emanuel Vanderpagne, 14, and two other children.

a woman wearing a head scarf stands in front of a building

Saham Paras, 31, has been living in her home for two years with her disabled father[/caption]

a building with scaffolding around it and a sign that says ' scaffolding ' on it

More than 130 households received a knock at the door[/caption]

a woman wearing a hijab is standing on a set of stairs

Yassin Djalro, 33, has lived in the property with her two children for four years now[/caption]

She said: “We are devastated. It is just such a shock.

“Because I have knee and back problems I need to have an assessment all over again to find a new flat.

“They said that they could move us anywhere. I am very worried because we don’t want to move to a bad area. It is all too much.

“I hope they give us somewhere nice. It is so quiet here and you never see anyone fighting. All the children come out and play together.

What are your eviction rights?

Currently, landlords have to give you 14 days notice before serving you an eviction notice period.

Once you’ve been served this eviction notice you have a two month period before court action can be started against you.

After this period is up your landlord has four months to take you to court.

If your landlord does take you to court you could also end up being liable for some of the costs

Under the new government scheme a housing expert can work with you to try and find out what may be causing someone to seek possession of your home and recommend solutions.

They may be able to help on matters such as:

illegal eviction
disrepair and other problems with housing conditions
rent arrears
mortgage arrears
welfare benefits payments
debt

Also charities like Shelter and Citizens Advice might also be able to offer some assistance.

Legal aid could also help if you have a serious housing problem.

If you are on benefits or have a low income you could get:

telephone advice from civil legal advice
an appointment with a legal advisor or solicitor
help at a possession hearing from a court duty advisor

You can also get help with stopping or delaying eviction, court action for mortgage repossession and illegal eviction and harassment.

“Everyone is happy. My kids go to school here and my youngest is just starting year eight.

“I can’t take them to school because of my health so they have to go alone.

“My kids don’t want to move schools. My youngest son turned to me and said ‘I am going to miss my friends’.”

Locals claim that many residents of the blocks have already been made to move out.

I am happy to move

Some residents however supported the move stating that if their safety really is at risk they are happy to go.

Yassin Djalro, 33, has lived in the property with her two children for four years now.

She said that she is happy to be moving from the property if it is truly unsafe but fears for her autistic daughter who may need to move schools.

She said: “I am happy to move because I have two kids and I don’t want something to happen if it is unsafe.

“We knew that we were going to have to move but we didn’t expect it to be this soon.

“They have already moved lots of other people but not us yet. I am not sure where they are sending me.

We are willing to move

Married couple Thomas and Francis Ennis, who have been together for 50 years, said they believe the council have dealt with the situation very well – despite being sad to leave their home.

Thomas, 72, said: “We are willing to move but we would have preferred to stay here.

“We had a meeting last night about the decision and I am more confused now than I was before.

“It seems to all come down to the lithium batteries which seems to be a growing issue.

“People are upset because it was so sudden, which it was, but it is not like we are being made to move today or tomorrow.

“They are allowing people to look at different flats rather than forcing one on them. We have a choice.

“The council are covering all the costs, as they should.

“Other people may have been badly treated but we have been treated very well.”

Francis, 71, added: “We have been lucky and were offered somewhere. If they are doing this to protect us then I think that is very important.

“I am sorry that we are leaving because we have a very nice flat. The council have been very good.

“It is important that they have treated us well and they have been very open. I always felt very safe living here.

I am going to miss the security. We would have preferred to have stayed here. It is not ideal, but we have to be realistic.”

“I don’t want to leave the area because my daughter has autism and she goes to a school that caters for her needs with her own teacher.

“If we are forced to move far away then it’ll be really hard to find another school that can help her.”

I have so much sympathy

In the short-term Southwark Council have put measures in place to make sure remaining residents are safe.

There include a waking watch and a zero tolerance approach to modes of transport that need lithium batteries, such as e-scooters and e-bikes.

Councillor Sarah King, cabinet member for council homes, said: “Despite what we know about the long-term issues with the Ledbury estate this must have come as a shock for everyone living at Ledbury estate.

“I have so much sympathy for residents who have to uproot themselves from their homes much sooner than expected but their safety has to be our first priority and it’s not something we can compromise on.

“The action we have taken today follows advice from our fire consultants Frankhams after our joint intrusive fire risk inspection (FRA4) discovered that existing problems with all three tower blocks buildings have worsened.

“When combined with the new problems caused by the storage of lithium batteries needed for e-scooters, which increase the risk of fire, we have agreed that we cannot risk people living in the blocks long-term while we wait for the new homes to be built on site.

“Residents will have to move out for their safety and the buildings will be demolished as planned.

“All residents will be supported at every stage with help and information about where they will move to and how we can help them settle into their new homes.

“Housing officers and fire safety experts will be based at the Ledbury Tenants and Residents Hall and our 24/7 waking watch will be remain on site to continue monitoring and mitigating risk.

“Under no circumstances should modes of transport needing a lithium battery enter any of the buildings.”