Families facing homelessness as infamous landlord orders them to leave so he can cash in on empire

'I hate him. We all do. It's low-rent housing – if I could afford to move elsewhere, I would,' says tenant

Tuesday 15 January 2019 13:48 GMT
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Property tycoon Fergus Wilson banned 'coloured' tenants due to curry smell

Hundreds of people are facing homelessness after receiving eviction notices from one of Britain’s most controversial landlords.

Fergus Wilson, infamous for banning “coloured” tenants on grounds they smell like “curry”, has said he is intending to sell his portfolio of 300 homes by the end of the year.

The 70-year-old multimillionaire is giving tenants two months to vacate.

Mr Wilson revealed 32 homes from his empire, which is based mainly in the Kent area, have been sold independently and talks are under way to offload the rest in batches.

“I do feel sad for people who are going to be homeless, it will be hardest for parents with young children, because most landlords won’t accept them,” Mr Wilson said.

“I also feel sad selling the houses. We have built them up over the years but we can’t take them to the grave with us.

“We haven’t thought about what we will do with the money yet, I’m not going to buy a Rolls-Royce or anything like that. I could do that now – it is money down the drain.”

A tenant, who asked not to be named, said: “I hate him. We all do. It’s low-rent housing – if I could afford to move elsewhere, I would.

“I’m not one of the first lot getting turfed out but I do feel like it’ll happen any day now.”

In 2017, Mr Wilson banned “coloured” tenants, justifying it by saying they made his homes smell of curry – a move which was overturned in a court victory for the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

More recently he sparked fury for evicting four mothers, which he blamed on the district council’s “strict rules” on the speed with which boilers need to be fixed in homes where babies are living.

Last month his wife Judith Wilson, 68, was ordered to pay £25,000 in fines and legal costs last month for failing to supply hot water to a disabled tenant.

The couple said they would appeal against the decision and threatened to crash the local property market by selling their empire.

Landlords have the legal right to retain possession of a property at the end of a tenancy, but must follow the legal procedure.

Under an assured shorthold tenancy agreement, landlords can issue a Section 21 notice to regain possession after the initial period of the agreement.

The local authority has pledged to help any evicted tenants who struggle to find replacement housing.

SWNS

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