Eleven London councils have no records of whether tenants were evicted from properties they purchased for temporary accommodation, a Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) investigation has found. This means families may have been made homeless so councils can house others, exacerbating the capital's housing crisis.
Councils unaware of evictions prior to purchase
Data obtained by the LDRS shows that 11 of London's 33 local authorities do not track whether properties were occupied before they bought them for temporary housing. Many councils stated that removing former tenants was the responsibility of the previous landlord. For instance, Brent Council purchased 30 homes in 2025 and 20 in 2026, all within the borough, but said it does not hold information on occupation prior to purchase. A spokesperson added that Brent sources properties on the open market and is not routinely provided with background information about occupiers or reasons for sale.
Hackney Council bought 43 units for temporary accommodation between March 2024 and March 2026 but did not record whether they were occupied or vacant at the time of purchase. Southwark Council said it does not have a register for such properties, so it cannot provide any data on prior occupation.
Evictions confirmed in some cases
Other authorities were aware of tenants being displaced. Enfield Council recorded two households in 2024 that were evicted via Section 21 notices, known as no-fault evictions, which have since been outlawed. Westminster City Council, which purchased properties from Richmond to Newham, listed most as previously occupied, with vendors obtaining vacant possession. In March, the LDRS reported that tenants were evicted from a block in Kew so Westminster could use the homes for temporary accommodation, sparking outrage from Richmond Council.
Michael Slade, a resident of Garden Court in Kew for 16 years, said: "It's a family. They've broken up a family, my friends come in here, drink tea and coffee with me, and we chat. They phone me up every day. Everyone's within walking distance." After press coverage, Westminster allowed Slade and several others to stay.
Criticism from campaigners and councils
Jae Vail, a spokesperson for London Renters Union, said: "Temporary accommodation is a short-term fix to a long-term problem. We've seen social and council housing sold off for Right To Buy, it was demolished especially in parts of London and we should be focusing on building back that stock rather than pouring money into temporary accommodation."
Richmond Council Leader Cllr Gareth Roberts condemned Westminster's approach, stating: "Richmond Council, by contrast, does not have a policy of acquiring homes by displacing existing tenants. We recognise the immense pressures councils face in tackling homelessness and providing temporary accommodation – Richmond faces those same challenges. But efforts to house one family should not come at the expense of another family's housing security." He added that Richmond is focused on increasing its housing supply, having already bought back 50 former Right to Buy homes.
Broader impact and calls for change
A spokesperson for London Councils noted that the number of London households in temporary accommodation increased by more than 50% from 2015 to 2025, rising from 48,000 to 73,000. They called for more national policy support, including capital funding for councils to build or buy homes, and boosting Local Housing Allowance rates.
A Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government spokesperson said: "We expect councils to make sure tenants aren't unfairly caught out when they're purchasing homes for housing stock – but our renters reforms mean no one can be kicked out for no reason. More broadly we're investing £39 billion to deliver the biggest boost to social and affordable housing in a generation."
