Oldham mum and son were made homeless after landlord eviction

For the last 18 months, Ayo Eke called Broome Street in Westwood home, but after a dispute over the cleanliness of her apartment, she was removed on Wednesday.

The 54-year-old works full-time as a housekeeper for Hilton, and said after a day at work, she said the mould and rust in her two-bed flat was too much for her to handle.

Ayo Eke outside of her apartment on Broome Street (Image: Ayo Eke)

Speaking to The Oldham Times on Tuesday, June 4, she said: “I’m not alright, I’m not alright at all.

“I’ve been trying to look for a private property, since June last year when the landlord told me I have to leave, and in January before that I made an application for homeless and housing.

“I’ve been going to the council for help, and they are telling me I should wait, then yesterday (Monday) I went there and spoke to an officer and they did nothing.”

Rusty pipes and mould pictured in the apartment (Image: Ayo Eke)

While Miss Eke claimed that her eviction came due to the flat being dirty, landlord Tekalgn Adane refuted that.

The decision to evict Miss Eke from her home came through a court order after Mr Adane stated that he had not received payment from his tenant since September 2023.

He said: “She’s not paying rent or council tax, so I asked her to leave – that’s my right. I have to pay the court fee, the solicitor’s fee, the bailiff's fees.

Inside the cupboards the paint has chipped away (Image: Ayo Eke)

“She says the apartment is dirty, but she never said anything in the beginning – if it’s dirty it’s from her after so long, so she needs to clean it.

“Suddenly she stopped paying the rent.”

However, Miss Eke, who suffers with high blood pressure following the removal of one of her kidneys, disagreed.

Floorboards from the hallway overlap into the kitchen (Image: Ayo Eke)

She added: “I already paid over £5,000 to stay in this house, in this dirty apartment.”

While the dispute has been going on since June last year, it was only last month that Mr Adane issued the eviction letter.

In that time Miss Eke explained she has pleaded with the council to help find her family temporary accommodation, and while she claimed it originally fell of deaf ears, she has since been put up at the 247Hotel.com, on Manchester Street.

Alessandro Rizzato told The Oldham Times that he was staying strong for his mum (Image: Ayo Eke)

Her son, 23-year-old Alessandro Rizzato, is also now homeless as he lives with his mother. 

He said: “I’m a little bit worried but I’m trying to stay calm because of my mum.”

A spokesperson for the council said: "Miss Eke has been in touch with our housing team on several occasions. We have offered her assistance and tried to resolve the issue by supporting her to apply for social housing.

"However, like local authorities across the country, Oldham Council’s housing list already has thousands of people on it waiting for suitable accommodation.

"We do sympathise with Miss Eke and other private rented tenants facing eviction, but all available housing is allocated on a priority basis, based on information provided by the resident."

They added: "As we are unable to assist residents who do not qualify for temporary accommodation, we have advised Miss Eke to explore the local housing market and we will continue to provide her with assistance to help find a suitable property."

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