Controversial landlord Fergus Wilson has hit the headlines again by announcing he will ban large families from his properties.
Wilson told The Guardian he is evicting families with more than two children and those with extended families staying in the property.
Wilson announced in January that he would be evicting tenants on benefits to make way for Eastern European migrants. But now it’s these tenants – and their families – Wilson wants rid of.
“I have taken the decision to evict all families with more than two children and also three-generation households,” said Wilson in a statement sent to the Guardian.
“Most of our houses in Ashford go to childless couples. However, after a couple of months there are four, five, six children and I have to evict the family. The tenancy has been taken by deception. We have had a number of eastern European families slip in under the radar with four, five and six children. We have had no British tenants with three or more children for some weeks. They have been evicted as I took the decision to no longer take housing benefit cases. All those British tenants with three or more children have long gone.”
Predictably the announcement sparked outrage from tenants’ campaign groups. Housing charity Shelter said in a blog post:
“It’s very easy to paint Wilson as an isolated big bad landlord figure (he doesn’t help himself). But, our research showed that that almost four in 10 (38%) landlords polled prefer not to rent to families with children. The real problem here is that any landlord can evict families, regardless of whether they are at fault, extremely easily. Families now make up a third of all private rented households. However, Wilson’s announcement is yet another stark reminder of how our broken rental market fails to provide renting families with the stability they need.
“Knowing that you could be evicted, with little notice, at any time, is stressful for anyone. For families, the prospect of uprooting children from schools and losing networks providing support and childcare demonstrates the even more fragile position that renting families find themselves in.”
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Comments
Mr Shaukat , with a name like yours I can see where your sympathy's lay, this country prides itself on freedom of speech ( as you have proved ) so within the law Mr wilson can say what he likes. Yes I would not have large familiy's in my houses the damage from the last one's in a year was horrendus. It looked like instead of washing their hands they wiped them off on the walls, that in a newly renovated property. Shelter should butt out all they do is wind landlords up and make them less inclined to take tenants on benefits.
The law is a mess and need a overhaul.
How can a landlord make such comments in public. If he was to make the same comments about a particular race or about disabled tenants, he would be breaking the law. But the same comments about families is allowed.
If the tenants are looking after the property and paying the rent on time and adhering to the terms of the tenancy agreement, then why does it matter how many children they have. As long as the property is not over crowded.
The tenant(s) should challenge the eviction to the highest court in the land.
The quicker Mr Wilson leaves the profession of being a landlord the better it will be for the industry.
cannot understand why no families, I can understand a ban on big families with increased wear and tear though.
But when all said and done these properties belong to him to do with as he sees fit, if someone does not like it then go elsewhere. I do not like Tesco, but I do not moan about them, just shop elsewhere.
It's Fergie time again!!
You gotta love this bloke. He's as ruthless as they come.
Wonder what the next policy will be?
Be afraid.....
Does this policy from this pair really surprise anyone?