TENANT SUES LONDON LANDLORD OVER DEMOLITION CLAIM

A man who lived at The Cricketers, a former music pub in Kennington converted into flats, is suing his landlord for up to £100,000 in damages. Nicola Saia claims he was woken by loud banging at around 9am on 18 July 2023, before finding debris falling from the ceiling and a hole made through the roof above his living room, bathroom and one bedroom. He said landlord Ravinder Laly was present with builders at the time. Mr Saia alleges Mr Laly then left the premises and locked the gate, leaving him trapped inside, and that the front gate was later boarded up, blocking access and exit. He claims he had to remain in the unfit property until Southwark Council accepted he was homeless and offered him temporary housing on 29 July 2023.

Mr Saia is pursuing a claim against Mr Laly and property company RSL Slough Ltd for harassment and unlawful eviction, saying he suffered shock, stress, anxiety and inconvenience. His barrister, Kevin Brown, told Central London County Court that Mr Laly had messaged Mr Saia two weeks before the works began, stating the roof would come off and demolition would start. Mr Laly denies harassment or unlawful eviction and disputes that Mr Saia was legally his tenant, or RSL Slough Ltd's tenant, at the time. The Cricketers had previously hosted performers including The Pogues, Happy Mondays and Fairport Convention before its conversion into flats.

The court heard the building had fallen into decline and was earmarked for demolition by 2023, before being completely levelled in 2024. Judge Karen Evans-Gordon is overseeing the case at Central London County Court. The claim centres on whether Mr Saia held a legal tenancy at the time works began, a point disputed by Mr Laly. The case continues, with the court yet to rule on the harassment and unlawful eviction claims.