30.11.12

Students have been forced out of their home after they were threatened with eviction. Four students, living in a property on Chestnut Avenue, were visited by bailiffs who told them that they were being evicted.

Speaking to Leeds Student, one resident said: “A bloke came around some weeks ago working for the solicitors, and had a repossession notice, and was asking questions about who owned the house. Two weeks after that, we got a knock on the door and it was the bailiffs to repossess the house”. He added that he understood the house was being repossessed as the landlord had “stopped paying his mortgage”.

The letting agents, UK Pads, who manage the property on behalf of the landlord, told this paper: “the building is two flats – flat A is on Chestnut Avenue and flat B is actually around the corner. Flat A is empty, and it seems that the notices from the bank were delivered there, so tenants in flat B had no idea that this was happening”. He added “we had no idea this was taking place.

The landlord never made us aware he was in any form of difficulties”. The students added that they had to pay £50 to apply to the courts to extend the eviction. This was in order to allow them time to make alternative accommodation arrangements.

Speaking to Leeds Student, one resident said: “All four of us had essays due in the last few weeks and the weeks coming up, so the last thing you want to be told is that your house is being repossessed. We will hopefully be moving before Christmas, but we had to go to court three times and pay money to get the extension”. They added that UK Pads had been helpful in finding them new accommodation, which they hope to move into next week.

Words: James Greenhalgh