Kim Mansell is a tenant of the 999 Club, a charity which supports people facing homelessness in Lewisham and nearby areas
A South Londoner is fighting a court battle with her landlord – a homelessness charity – over alleged rent arrears after she was initially served a Section 21 ‘no-fault’ eviction notice. Kim Mansell has lived in her flat in South London for almost five years and is a tenant of the 999 Club, a charity which supports people facing homelessness in Lewisham and nearby areas.
The 999 Club owns several properties and rents them out privately. A spokesperson for the charity told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) they are separate from its services for people experiencing homelessness but provide income for the charity.
Earlier this summer, Kim was served a Section 21 eviction notice which ordered her to leave the property by August 11. At this point, Kim says she was not behind on any rent payments.
She alleges when she tried to challenge the eviction with the charity’s CEO, Charly Richardson, she was told having a meeting would “neither be productive or appropriate” and was told not to contact him again.
Kim, who quit her job in marketing and opened a local gym earlier this year, said: “It’s just unfortunate, I literally had this conversation with [Charly] face-to-face about how much I like living here and that it’s really important for me because of the situation I’m in and that it’s my home.
“I literally said to him I don’t have a family, I don’t have a family home and this is the home that I’ve made for myself. This is the longest I’ve ever lived somewhere as well, everything in this property is mine so if I was to leave here, the only option I’d have is to stay at a friends.”
‘Everything I own would have to go’
She added: “I would have to sell everything in here, I would have to sell my bed, my sofa, my piano, my TV – everything would have to go, everything I own would have to go.”
According to the Single Homelessness Project, a Section 21 notice, also known as a ‘no-fault’ eviction, is one of the biggest causes of homelessness in this country.
No-fault evictions allow landlords to evict tenants without giving a specific reason. However, as part of the new Renters’ Rights Bill, no-fault evictions have been banned and from May 1, 2026, landlords will no longer be able to serve them. Private landlords will now need a reason to evict a tenant, such as if they are selling the property or if they are owed rent.
A few days after her proposed eviction date, Kim claims she saw her flat advertised online with an increased rent of £250 per month – though the advertisement has since been taken down.
Kim told the LDRS: “I wasn’t offered that and at this point there had been no mention of rent arrears because I didn’t have any. I do now, there’s a month’s rent that I have now missed, but this was in July/August when I got this [eviction notice].”
Then in October, Kim received a court order which has been seen by the LDRS informing her that the charity is taking her to court in February 2026 over alleged rent arrears amounting to £1,885. Kim has questioned the amount she allegedly owes, as it “doesn’t even make sense”. Despite trying to contact the charity and the managing agents for the property in an attempt to try and resolve the issue out of court, Kim says she has not received any response.
Kim said: “There is nothing in that [court] document that tells me where that number has come from – like not a single thing, you would have thought they would have that listed and explained to me. My only conclusion because they won’t speak to me and won’t actually provide me with any information at all is that they are trying to get more money for the property before the new laws come in.”
Kim believes the amount she owes is significantly less than £1,885, and says she has proof that she was overpaying her rent for the first six months of 2025.
She says the situation has negatively impacted her health, and added: “I don’t know where this number has come from, so the fact they can’t tell me how much I actually do owe, and I’ve asked – I’ve got emails that show this, they just don’t give me information.
“What are they gaining from this? Why could it possibly be in their interest to behave like this?
“I’m currently putting every ounce of my energy into [my business] and all I want to do at the end of the day is come home and have an hour or two in a quiet space that is my home and you’re taking that away from me. It’s not a lot to ask for, having a roof over your head which is a safe space you.”
999 Club ‘would not issue notice simply to increase the rent’
A spokesperson for the 999 Club said: “To protect privacy, the 999 Club cannot comment on individual tenancies. The properties are managed on our behalf by an external managing agent, and tenants are appropriately directed to the managing agent for any support or enquiries.
“We recognise that any change in someone’s housing situation can be unsettling. Important decisions regarding our properties are never taken lightly and only following advice from our managing agents and with independent legal support. The 999 Club would not issue notice simply to increase the rent, and did not request the property be re-advertised.”
Don’t miss out on the biggest local stories. Sign up to our MySouthLondon newsletter HERE for all the latest daily news and more.
