Len Maloney, a car mechanic who has worked at JC Motors in Haggerston for over 40 years, is facing eviction due to significant rent arrears.
His landlord, Places for London (PfL), a property company owned by Transport for London, has increased the rent on his garage arch by over 100% in recent years.
Maloney has been unable to keep up with the rising rent, which now stands at £55,000 per year. PfL has offered him several options, including paying off the arrears in full, moving to a smaller arch, or vacating the premises. However, Maloney believes that moving would negatively impact his business, as his customers are primarily located in the local Haggerston area.
The East End Trades Guild (EETG) has launched a campaign to save JC Motors, highlighting its value as a “social value” enterprise. Maloney’s business has provided apprenticeships, work experience, and mentorship to numerous young people in the community.
The EETG argues that PfL should recognise the social value that JC Motors brings to the area and consider a more flexible approach to the rent. They believe that Maloney’s contribution to the community should be taken into account when making decisions about his business.
Places for London has stated that they are committed to working with their tenants but cannot provide special treatment to JC Motors due to their significant rent arrears. They have offered alternative locations with lower rent but have not received acceptance from Maloney.
The EETG has called on Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, to intervene in the situation and ensure that JC Motors remains in the community. They believe that a social value lease could be a viable solution to address the rent arrears and allow Maloney to continue operating his business.
Maloney’s situation highlights the challenges faced by small businesses in urban areas, particularly when dealing with rising costs and the need to adapt to changing market conditions. The EETG’s campaign aims to raise awareness of the importance of supporting local businesses and the positive impact they can have on their communities.
Source: Standard
Tracey Pointer
Why do they want so much money
Mark
What this highlights is the disgraceful mindset that somehow £55000 per year rent is normal for a tiny archway plot in London, and then hiding behind a front company to take said rent when it’s actually owned by Tfl.
I’d love to know what his rent was 40 years ago, when normal working class people could actually afford to live in London.
Lee Henrys
£1058 a week in rent alone before any other overheads. WOW!
That takes some finding even with London prices, especially in such a small unit.
John
Similar issues are facing tenants of the ArchCO. They are ruthless and ask for more than double rents
Keith
I started renting an arch from London Transport back in 1987, then it was £60/ week (no VAT on that in those days),by the time I retired,around two years ago it had had risen £32,000 per year + VAT !! The landlord expects you to keep the premises in a good state of repair too(full repairing lease).
Ronnie
TFL is £ 9.148 billion pounds in debt