Eviction row company 'open' to time extension

A company criticised for giving tenants only two months to move out of a building which some have lived in for more than 30 years, says it is "open to discussions" about "potential extended time frames".

The new owner of The Slipway at Whitehaven Harbour in Cumbria handed residents no-fault eviction notices last week.

Tenant Megan Denny said she was worried about elderly people in the building who would face an "enormous task" finding another home.

Landlord SGL 5 Ltd said it intended to be in "close communication" with those affected and would "assist in their particular circumstances".

Ms Denny said some of the tenants were "distraught".

She said some of the most vulnerable would struggle to find somewhere else to live in a "market where there's no rentals available".

Cumberland Council's Emma Williamson described the eviction of elderly people as "morally wrong" and urged tenants to reach out to the local authority's housing team.

The landlord said it had served eviction notices in "compliance with regulations" and it was doing so to refurbish the property and ensure "it remains a valuable asset for years to come".

But spokesperson Daniella Lipszyc also said it was "open to discussion with tenants about potential extended time frames or alternative arrangements".

"We will be meeting tenants on an individual basis where concerns have been raised."

She said the landlord had been unable to warn residents about their plans earlier because they had been unable to access tenant contact details before they took over the building.

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