Richmond Council has slammed Westminster City Council for making residents an "afterthought" in its purchase of a housing block which sparked a mass eviction.

Richmond Council has expressed "deep alarm" at the news that private tenants living in Garden Court, opposite Kew Gardens, had been served soon-to-be abolished Section 21 eviction notices by their landlord Dorrington, while the £16 million deal is finalised.

Labour-run Westminster City Council is in the process of buying the Richmond housing block to be used for temporary accommodation – even though there are already more than 30 households living there. Some of the residents facing eviction are long-term, elderly or disabled.

Councillor Gareth Roberts, Leader of Richmond Council, said: "What is happening at Garden Court is simply wrong. However it is dressed up, the outcome is the same: people – many of them older, settled, and part of a close knit community – are being told to leave their homes because a property sale is going ahead. That is not how a decent housing system should operate.

"These are not empty units. They are people's homes – homes people have invested in emotionally, socially, and financially for many years.

"To force individuals in their 70s and 80s to uproot their lives at short notice, in order to facilitate a transaction, shows a disturbing disregard for residents' wellbeing."

Councillor Roberts continued: "We recognise that private landlords may make commercial decisions. But commercial decisions must never come at the expense of basic humanity.

"That is why we are urgently seeking immediate, senior level discussions with Westminster City Council to understand exactly what has taken place, why residents were put in this position, and what steps will now be taken to ensure they are properly supported.

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"Our priority is, and will always remain, the people who live in our borough. We are determined to do everything within our power to stand up for Garden Court residents and to challenge any process that treats long-term tenants as an afterthought. No housing deal – whatever its purpose – should ever begin with the displacement of an entire community."

Westminster City Council says the sale was on the basis the property was vacant and that Dorrington is responsible for issuing the eviction notices.

The Labour Government's Renters' Rights Act will abolish Section 21 notices, known as 'no fault' evictions, on May 1, 2026, making them illegal.

Westminster says it has since made offers to two elderly residents to stay on at Garden Court after the building comes under its ownership. It has apologised for "any upset caused".

A spokesperson for Westminster previously said: "I can confirm that Westminster City Council is in the process of acquiring Garden Court for use as temporary accommodation. This is in line with our policy of sourcing accommodation across London to house people on our waiting lists."

A spokesperson for Dorrington said: "We continually review our portfolio and as a result have agreed to sell Garden Court to Westminster City Council.

"We were able to give residents notice in February 2025 of our intention to sell Garden Court and the majority have already found new homes in the year since then.

"Where residents have found the move less straightforward, we are providing support and flexibility and will continue to do so. Where residents have protections through their tenancies they will have the opportunity to continue living at Garden Court under its new ownership."

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