A peculiar situation has unfolded, involving a Labour council securing a banning order against a landlord, resulting in the eviction of up to 80 tenants.
This situation, as reported by Bristol Live, involves a local landlord named Naomi Knapp, who was issued a banning order in 2022. The order was later confirmed on appeal in May of the current year.
Initially, the council provided reassurances to Knapp’s tenants, suggesting that the order might not necessarily require them to leave their properties. However, the situation has taken a different turn, with all tenants now being asked to vacate by December 1.
The conditions of the banning order required Knapp to comply within six months. She could do so by selling the homes as rented properties with tenants in place or transferring ownership and control to another individual, removing her as the registered landlord.
According to Bristol Live, the council alleges that Knapp has failed to find an alternative solution to the issue. Consequently, she is now faced with the challenging task of evicting the estimated 60 to 80 tenants living in properties under her ownership.
Knapp informed Bristol Live that the lettings agencies she works with have served Section 21 notices to all her tenants across her properties. These notices grant the tenants until December 1, marking six months from when the banning order’s confirmation was issued, to vacate the premises.
Reportedly, Knapp has submitted an application to the Property Tribunal, which initially issued the banning order, seeking a variation to provide her tenants with more time. She has expressed her intention to sell her properties and step away from being a landlord.
She states, “I’ve listed the vacant properties on the market, and I’ve successfully sold a couple. However, the housing market, especially for homes with existing tenants, has essentially come to a standstill.”
“It just seems unjust. The council’s actions were associated with four or five of my properties, and I did encounter some issues with a couple of them.”
“There were unresolved repair issues, but this occurred during the height of the Covid pandemic, making it extremely challenging to promptly address these repairs.”
You can read the full Bristol Live story here.
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