Highlights
- Billionaire Labour donor Asif Aziz's property company Criterion Capital has been accused of serving mass eviction notices.
- London mayor Sadiq Khan said he was "appalled" at reports of alleged mass evictions .
- Criterion Capital strongly denies the claims, calling it a "routine and lawful tenancy matter" that has been "misrepresented and politicised".
Asif Aziz, a billionaire Labour donor and founder of Criterion Capital, is facing scrutiny after eviction notices were issued to tenants at Britannia Point in Colliers Wood, south-west London.
The move comes ahead of legislation banning Section 21 “no-fault” evictions from May 1.
The Telegraph reported that Aziz has been accused of a “cynical” attempt to force out renters before new laws banning so-called no-fault evictions come into effect, after his real estate company served notice on tenants at the London residential block.
A spokesperson for London mayor Sadiq Khan said: “The mayor is appalled at reports that Criterion Capital is mass-evicting Londoners from their homes. We have written to the company and asked it to urgently explain its actions.”
Tom Copley, the mayor’s deputy for housing, also wrote to Aziz urging him to “urgently reconsider”.
He added: “To evict tenants shortly before the implementation of the Act would be a short-sighted and cynical attempt to bypass the rules and would show disrespect for the spirit of this much-needed legislation.”
Aziz has previously donated £50,000 to the Labour Party through Criterion Capital. The company also donated £5,000 to the Conservative Party in 2017.
Criterion Capital, which owns a £9 bn property portfolio across the UK and Europe, including the Trocadero building in Leicester Square, strongly denies the allegations and says the tenancy issue has been “misrepresented and politicised”.
The company described the situation as a “routine and lawful tenancy matter” that has been “misrepresented and politicised”.
A spokesperson told The Telegraph: “There has been no policy to clear Britannia Point and no attempt to accelerate action ahead of legislative reform. Only a small proportion of tenants at the building have been served notice, and no fixed-term tenancy has been terminated prematurely.”
The Local Democracy Reporting Service reported that residents were later verbally reassured they would not be required to leave. However, many remain uncertain as they have not received written confirmation that the notices have been formally withdrawn.
Local representatives have called for formal assurances, warning that existing Section 21 timelines continue to cause anxiety among tenants.
The Renters’ Rights Act, which comes into force on May 1, will ban Section 21 no-fault evictions in England.
The measure currently allows landlords to evict tenants without providing a reason. (Agencies)
