Edinburgh dad Marc Rendle who was given eviction notice for flat in Strada "cried with relief" after being given extension
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Marc Rendle and his partner Jade were left reeling when they received a letter giving the couple and their two children just a fortnight to move out of their home at the Strada, after it was revealed that their landlord hadn’t kept up with mortgage payments.
With the help of MSP Ben Macpherson, the family now have six months reprieve but Marc, a self-employed handyman, has vowed to keep fighting to stay in his home and to stop his neighbours being turfed out of theirs.
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Hide AdThe dad-of-two has accused mortgage lenders of “scare tactics” and is seeking legal advice along with others from the Strada, amid calls for better legal protection for tenants.
Mr Rendle said: “I cried with relief when I found out we have more time. It's so stressful losing your home and getting only two weeks to find somewhere. For most folk it’s impossible to drum up a deposit plus a month’s rent in that time."
"We’ve now got six months. That shows it’s possible to give tenants in this situation more time.”
He added: “We’ve got a fight on our hands now to help others in the same boat. We want answers after paying rent for years but it’s not just about the money. Tenants can’t be treated this way. They can’t just take our money and chuck us out.”
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Hide AdThe landlord owns a third of 67 flats at the ‘luxury’ complex and is estimated to have racked up hundreds of thousands of pounds in debt on the properties.
A total of 22 of his homes, which cost on average £900 per month to rent a one-bed flat and £1,200 for a two-bed flat, have been taken back by banks.
Mr Rendle was one of 15 renters served with eviction notices at start of March - giving them just two weeks notice to move out.
Several other homes were previously repossessed and a further two had eviction notices pinned to their doors last week.
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Hide AdBut following a report by the Evening News, at least eight of the households have had their notices cancelled and Mr Macpherson, MSP for Edinburgh Northern and Leith, is now working to help tenants get extra time.
A property management company is making a bid to buy all repossessed flats at the complex and claim current tenants can stay on under new lease agreements.
But the landlord would need to consent to a buyout, despite defaulted mortgage payments on some flats since 2017.
Ben Macpherson MSP said: "I was shocked to hear about the situation these people are facing and the distress it has caused.
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Hide Ad"The priority is to get them more time. I’ve spoken to lawyers of the banks and urged them to consider the circumstances, and that has led to the time frames being amended in line with the apply tenants’ rights. Some have been given two months while others agreed to six months.
“There are legitimate questions about where the rent payments have gone and the role of the banks in this. I’ve urged the tenants to seek legal representation and will continue to help them get more time to find an alternative home.”
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