Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has written to billionaire Asif Aziz over allegations that his property firm is carrying out “mass evictions” of London residents through the use of soon-to-be banned Section 21 notices.
The landlord has been accused of “unacceptable” practices after multiple private tenants across properties owned by his company Criterion Capital were apparently handed the controversial “no fault” eviction notices.
The affected buildings are believed to be Britannia Point in Colliers Wood, Delta Point in Croydon and Emerald House in New Malden. The buildings contain 606 flats combined.
Criterion Capital, a real estate company which also owns the Trocadeo building in Leicester Square, said it was inaccurate to state that hundreds of residents had been served eviction notices but declined to share exactly how many eviction notices had been given. It stated these were “routine and lawful tenancy matters” and denied it was accelerating action ahead of legislative reform.
A Mayor of London spokesperson said Mr Khan is “appalled” at the reports and has written to Criterion Capital asking the company to “urgently explain their actions”.
“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,” they added.
Through The Aziz Foundation, his family’s charity, Mr Aziz has collaborated with the Mayor of London every year since 2023 to sponsor the official Ramadan Lights switch on, taking place as recently as 14 February.
In a letter sent directly to Mr Aziz on Friday, the mayor followed up on an earlier request by London’s deputy mayor for housing Tom Copley, asking for “urgent clarification”.
Mr Khan wrote: “No such explanation has been forthcoming, and you have failed to provide assurances at all about the security of residents. This has created an increasingly worrying and uncertain situation for tenants, particularly now that further allegations have been put to us about evictions already underway.”
“The right to a good, safe and stable home is fundamental and I am steadfast in my opposition to the use of Section 21 no-fault evictions, let alone their potential use on a mass scale.”
Section 21 notices grant landlords the power to evict tenants from their properties at two months’ notice without needing to give any reason. They will be banned from May under Labour’s flagship Renters’ Rights Act. Housing campaigners fear the notices could be use more frequently ahead of the clampdown.
Housing charity Shelter has called the notices “one of the leading causes of homelessness” because they give tenants little notice to find a new property to rent and often come without warning.
Merton councillor Stuart Neaverson said Criterion Capital’s alleged actions would be “the largest mass eviction London has seen in recent years”, adding: “The Colliers Wood community is furious”.
He said: “Over 150 residents packed 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 horrific behaviour.”
Scores of residents are understood to have been issued Section 21 notices over the past few months, beginning as early as January, the London Centric reported on Friday.
After an initial report by the local media outlet on 23 February, residents claim they were visited in person at their flats and told by someone claiming to be a representative of Criterion Capital that their notices had been rescinded. This was later overturned again, the publication reports.
Clare, a resident at Emerald House in New Malden, told The Independent that she was in “shock” after receiving the notice.
“I just stood starring at the letter then I just broke down in tears. I’ve spent the last 12 months furnishing the apartment to make it feel like home and now I’ve been told I have to leave in a matter of months and there’s nothing I can do despite being a good respectful tenant who has always paid rent on time,” she said.
“I’m worried that I won’t be able to find the right apartment in time so will need to pack up my things into storage and head to my parents who are three hours away.
“Obviously this has an impact on work, social life, mental health … and it’s hard to focus on much else at the moment. I’m just still in disbelief that they can get away with this.”
A spokesperson for Criterion Capital said stories about the alleged evictions had been “materially misrepresented and politicised routine and lawful tenancy matters”.
They added: “These are commercial matters between private contracting parties. A limited number of statutory notices were lawfully served, in full compliance with the Housing Act 2004, in respect of periodic tenancies held by private tenants paying market rents. This formed part of a standard asset management process to regularise occupation terms.
“There has been no policy to vacate entire buildings, nor any attempt to accelerate action ahead of legislative reform.”
The spokesperson added that a “small proportion” equating to “fewer than 5 per cent” of tenants across Criterion’s portfolio have been served notice, meaning “the overwhelming majority of residents remain unaffected”.
They also add that claims that “hundreds” of tenants are being evicted or a “mass eviction” is taking place are incorrect. The company has not provided detail on how many notices it has served.
“Housing matters are sensitive and should be discussed on the basis of verified facts rather than amplified misinformation,” they write.
Criterion also disputes the characterisation that tenants have been “made homeless” by their actions, claiming this “demonstrates a fundamental misunderstanding of both the law and the complex social issues that give rise to genuine homelessness”. Dame Siobhain McDonagh, the Labour MP for Mitcham and Morden, said last week that she was “extremely concerned” about the number of residents in Britannia Point who “may now face homelessness”.
“The routine conclusion of a private-sector periodic tenancy, in accordance with statutory notice provisions, is not synonymous with homelessness.
“These are market-rent tenancies and residents retain access to alternative accommodation within the private rental sector.”
Section 21 notices issued to residents at different locations and seen by The Independent identify the same managing officer as the sender, but affiliated to separate companies both based at 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 on the board for Mosaic, a leadership programme set up by King Charles in 2007.
A spokesperson for the Mayor of London said: “The mayor is appalled at reports Criterion Capital are mass evicting Londoners from their homes. We have written to them and asked them to urgently explain their actions.
“Sadiq has always been clear that every Londoner deserves the security and dignity of a stable home. However, unfortunately, we know that the biggest cause of homelessness is a Section 21 ‘no fault’ eviction.
“That is why we welcome the upcoming changes as part of this Government’s groundbreaking Renters’ Rights Act, which will ban Section 21 evictions in England from 1 May 2026.”
