'We're being evicted from our flats for them to be used as temporary housing'

"We've not found many rented properties in the current climate... if we cannot manage, we will be homeless," says Garden Court resident Su Su Myat.

She is one of a number of private tenants living at the block of flats situated opposite Kew Gardens who have been served soon-to-be abolished Section 21 eviction notices by their landlord Dorrington as it finalises a £16m purchase by Westminster City Council.

The central London council intends to use the south-west London flats as temporary accommodation for its own homeless residents.

Gareth Roberts, leader of Richmond Council, said: "Asking people to leave, so that you can solve your own housing problems is just shoving the problem further down the road."

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

Roberts called the evictions "disgraceful".

"It's immoral that a council should be acquiring properties in order to solve their own housing problems in their borough, and asking people to move out of those properties, which they have made their homes," he said.

Myat, 58, and her partner Justin King, 61, have lived in their flat for 16 years and said they did not expect their tenancy to be terminated.

They said they and their neighbours often socialised together and it would be difficult to move away.

"We look after each other - like a whole big family here," Myat said.

They had both taken time off full-time work to return to university but may now have to give up their studies and return to work in order to find a new rental home.

"It came as a shock," Myat said, who added that they were struggling to find a new home

"There's not much. Now we are looking at Slough, maybe Twickenham, but they don't come up quickly."

A spokesperson for Dorrington said residents were told in February 2025 of its intention to sell Garden Court.

They said the "majority" of residents had found new homes and there was "support and flexibility" for tenants who "have found the move less straightforward".

They added: "Where residents have protections through their tenancies they will have the opportunity to continue living at Garden Court under its new ownership."

Paul Penney cannot be evicted as he has one of three protected tenancies in the block.

But the 79-year-old will lose his community of neighbours, who will be replaced by people from Westminster in need of temporary accommodation.

"I've always looked after the place and I won't stand any nonsense. If there is any disruption, my army side will come out," he said.

A spokesperson for Westminster City Council said half the block was empty and they had made offers to two elderly residents for them to continue living at Garden Court after the building comes under its ownership.

They apologised for "any upset caused".

The spokesperson added that buying the block of flats was "in line with our policy of sourcing accommodation across London to house people on our waiting lists", and Dorrington was supporting the remaining residents to find future homes.

Michael Slade, 85, was offered the opportunity to stay in his home last week, having previously also been served a Section 21 eviction notice.

However Slade is unsure whether he wants to stay if his neighbours are leaving.

"All the neighbours are friends," he said. "If I leave the area of Kew, I have lost all of my stability. They keep me stable. They are just a fantastic group of people. Everybody looks after one another."

"It just breaks up the whole community," he added. "I think loneliness is a very bad thing. A terrible thing. It ages people."

Council leader Roberts said for those who were allowed to remain in residence, their "whole way of life is going to be uprooted".

"These residents who are going to be allowed to remain - they're part of a community. They will see all of their neighbours go, and they will see new people moving in on a temporary basis," he said.

Roberts added: "I think that Westminster really should have a better policy when it comes to this.

"They should only accept properties which have got vacant possession, not with sitting tenants, and then expect those sitting tenants to move.

"When we acquire properties as Richmond Council, we always ensure that they are vacant possession if we're hoping to move our residents into those properties."

Additional reporting by Katherine Gray, Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Listen to the best of BBC Radio London on Sounds and follow BBC London on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to hello.bbclondon@bbc.co.uk