Single mum given last-minute reprieve from eviction in Glasgow

Key Points

Pierrette Tchialu was served an eviction notice from her landlord just days before Christmas
The single mum-of-four has been renting a flat in Glasgow’s east end for more than a decade
Her landlord told her on Tuesday the eviction had been postponed after an MSP expressed concern
Ms Tchialu says she has been offered another property – but the rent is to double
Homeless services are stretched to breaking point and housing associations are struggling to cope with demand across Scotland
Landlord says they had to seek an eviction due to an ongoing dispute

A single mum-of-four has been given a last-minute reprieve after facing eviction from a flat she has rented for more than ten years in Glasgow’s east end.

Pierrette Tchialu was served an eviction notice from her landlord just days before Christmas, stating they planned to move back into the property.

But on Tuesday she was told the eviction had been postponed after the landlord was contacted by an MSP expressing concern about Ms Tchialu’s case.

She says her landlord is now offering another property they own, but at double the rent, and that she has to provide a guarantor.

“It’s a very stressful moment as my children were preparing for exams when I received the eviction letter,” said Ms Tchialu, who has been on the waiting list for a social home for six years.

“They asked me all the time, ‘Where are we going?’

“I’d say, ‘I don’t know, because we don’t have anywhere to go for now’.”

Ms Tchialu’s situation lays bare the scale of the housing emergency currently gripping the country.

With fewer social homes and houses being built than ever before, finding affordable alternative accommodation at short notice has never been more challenging.

Homeless services are stretched to breaking point and housing associations are struggling to cope with demand.

Callin Stables from the national tenants’ union Living Rent said: “It’s happening all over Scotland, especially in the big cities.

“It’s really unfair that they want a guarantor for another flat, considering she has lived with them in this flat for 13 years without having a guarantor previously, so she’s proven she is trustworthy and that she can maintain a property.”

As the housing crisis intensifies, evictions are becoming more common.

In some cases, landlords are legally evicting tenants only to raise the rent and put the property back on the market again.

In Ms Tchialu’s case, a group of supporters gathered outside her flat on Tuesday.

With sheriff officers expected to impose an eviction order, they stood arm-in-arm and ready to resist.

As Ms Tchialu was awaiting her fate, she received a text message offering a reprieve. It was a small victory that temporarily solved a long-term problem.

A group of supporters gathered outside the flat on Tuesday. STV News

Ms Tchialu’s landlord told STV News they had no other option but to seek an eviction due to an ongoing dispute.

They concluded that she was willing to be evicted as it would increase her likelihood of being a priority case to secure alternative housing.

A 1-2-Let spokesperson said: “In April 2024 the landlord was successfully awarded a payment order for rent arrears of £2,676.87. The tenant requested seven years to pay this off but this was refused.

“However, in September she had managed to amass over £20,000 in savings. An eviction tribunal in September ruled in the landlord’s favour so as essential repairs could be undertaken. The tenant was therefore obliged to vacate the property, something she did not dispute.

“It then emerged that the Shelter charity refused to legally represent her after she was refused legal aid when it emerged she had over £20,000 in savings.

“Despite this, 1-2-Let offered to help find the tenant accommodation and even offered to let her move back in upon completion of the repairs. However, she declined this offer.

“We offered to let her stay into the new year subject to paying off her rent arrears. However, she refused this offer and demanded the eviction paperwork.

“This has led us to reach the reasonable conclusion that she was happy to be evicted as it would mean she would be a priority case in securing social housing, ahead of people who genuinely can’t afford accommodation.”