A young Midlothian family saw £900 deducted from their deposit despite being evicted from their home after just three weeks.
The Ely-Black family – Jon, Jayne and one-year-old Evie – were hit with a "notice to quit" their property in Bilston, informing them they would be required to leave within three months to allow a family member of the landlord to move in. This came just three weeks into their tenancy.
To make matters worse the landlord is now attempting to deduct £900 from their deposit for unfair cleaning and maintenance charges.
Living Rent, Scotland's Tenant's Union, organised a picket outside the registered address of the landlord at the weekend to demand fair compensation for the family, and see that their deposit be returned in full.
The family also report that the landlord and his relatives have been sending workers onto the property without permission, and making life impossible. This resulted in them opting to leave their tenancy rather than resisting and waiting to be made homeless.
Dad Jon said: “Moving house is one of the most stressful experiences you can have, and after harassing us while we were there, our landlord forced my family, including our one-year-old baby to move out just weeks after we had moved in.
"On top of this incredibly stressful situation, they are now trying to steal the majority of our deposit. As a low-income family, this is a huge amount of money for us.”
Danny, a Living Rent member in Edinburgh added: “The way that Jon, Jayne and Evie have been treated by this landlord is shocking. Being evicted at any time would be terrible, but the fact the landlord would do this in the middle of the pandemic and only three weeks after moving in is a disgrace.
"Renters need to stand up together against this type of behaviour which is why I was there to support them”
Living Rent members were also raising awareness more broadly about tenants being evicted at short notice and on unfair grounds. Living Rent members believe that this case highlights wider issues. Firstly, there are a growing number of ‘silent evictions’ which are not included in official statistics. These happen where the actions of a landlord make it impossible for a tenant to remain in their home. Examples of this include unfair rent increases, neglecting repairs, or other unsafe or unpleasant conditions.
Alternatively, landlords may issue a ‘notice to quit’ that the tenants choose not to oppose, deciding instead to leave their tenancy rather than wait to be made homeless. As these types of evictions do not proceed through the court system, they are not included in official statistics and are therefore not considered when it comes to policy making.
