A property firm founded by a Labour donor has been accused of serving “hundreds” of tenants at multiple London developments with eviction notices ahead of the Section 21 ban coming into force in May.
Criterion Capital, which manages a £9 billion property portfolio, allegedly issued notices to residents at Britannia Point in Colliers Wood, Delta Point in Croydon, and Emerald House in New Malden – collectively housing 606 flats.
Mayor Khan ‘appalled’ by alleged mass evictions
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has written to the company demanding it “urgently explain” its actions. A spokesperson for City Hall said Khan was “appalled” by the reports.
“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.”
Tom Copley, Deputy Mayor for Housing and Residential Development, wrote directly to the company urging it to “urgently reconsider”.
Tom Copley, Deputy Mayor for Housing, said: “To evict tenants shortly before the implementation of the [Renters’ Rights Act] would be a short-sighted and cynical attempt to bypass the rules and show a disregard for the very spirit of this much-needed legislation.”
Dame Siobhain McDonagh, Labour MP for Mitcham and Morden, said she was “extremely concerned” about residents who “may now face homelessness” and “alarmed at the number of tenants who reported receiving eviction notices”.
Criterion Capital denies mass eviction claims
Criterion Capital strongly denied claims of mass evictions, describing the situation as a “routine and lawful tenancy matter”. A company spokesperson said only a small proportion of tenants had been served notice as part of a standard asset management process and that “the overwhelming majority of residents remain unaffected”.
The company was founded by property tycoon Asif Aziz and has previously donated £50,000 to the Labour Party. The Aziz Foundation, a charity established by Aziz, has also funded parliamentary interns through donations listed in the register of interests.
This follows Residential Landlord’s February report on possession claims data, which found the widely predicted spike in Section 21 notices ahead of the May deadline had failed to materialise at a national level. The Criterion Capital allegations suggest some larger institutional landlords may be taking a different approach.
Section 21 deadline creates two-month window
Under the Renters’ Rights Act, Section 21 “no-fault” evictions will be abolished from 1 May 2026. Landlords currently using Section 21 must give tenants two months’ notice, meaning any notices served now will expire just before the new rules take effect.
The allegations have reignited debate about whether the government should have closed this window by implementing immediate restrictions on Section 21 when the legislation received Royal Assent. Instead, ministers opted for a four-month transition period that critics say leaves tenants vulnerable.
According to government guidance on the Renters’ Rights Act, landlords who wish to regain possession after May will need to rely on specific Section 8 grounds, which require them to demonstrate legitimate reasons such as rent arrears, property damage, or the intention to sell or move into the property.
If Merton councillor Stuart Neaverson’s assessment is accurate, the Criterion Capital situation could represent “the largest mass eviction London has seen in recent years” – testing whether the political backlash from such tactics will deter other landlords from similar last-minute action.
Opinion
The Criterion Capital controversy exposes the gap between political rhetoric and legislative reality. Ministers celebrated the Renters’ Rights Act as a victory for tenants while leaving a two-month window that any commercially-minded landlord could exploit. Whether these specific allegations prove accurate or not, the transition period has created exactly the rush of notices that tenant groups warned about.
