An actor who has been evicted from the flat he has lived in for seven years has spoken of his dismay at finding new accommodation. Oscar Heron, 45, was issued an eviction notice for his two-bed flat in Highbury on September 14, giving him until December 3 to move out.
Oscar has told MyLondon that despite being given more than two months' notice to move out, he is struggling to find a new place, in part due to his work and benefits status. He currently works part-time as an actor, having appeared in several Shakespeare plays and in TV shows such as Eastenders, Holby City, Silent Witness and Ted Lasso.
As an actor, Oscar can earn a "good wage" if he is booked on long-term shows but the pay varies depending on union rates. Some pay as much as £300 per day, but as he isn't constantly in work, his earnings vary month to month.
His wage differs each month, since the pandemic he has turned to Universal Credit to make ends meet. "It's not constant - it fluctuates, but I have been making it work for seven to eight years," he said.
Oscar says that he "didn't expect" an eviction to happen, especially in the middle of a cost of living crisis. He had been reassured that his tenancy wasn't at risk after a separate estate agent made several requests to view his property over the course of six months.
The estate agent told Oscar that the landlords were looking to sell the tower block that houses his two-bed flat but that "should not affect the tenants as any purchaser will want the flats tenanted". Despite this reassurance, months later he has been served the eviction notice.
His hunt to find a new home though is proving fruitless as most letting agencies have rejected him based on his income. Oscar says he has been turned away before even viewing flats because he cannot prove that he earns more than £42,000 or is in full-time employment.
He is currently searching for a property similar to his current one - a two-bed home for around £1,500 per month within zone 4. He says that a house share doesn't appeal to him, as a 45-year-old who has so many possessions and the "comforts you accumulate for your career".
However even when he does find a suitable flat, he is turned away because he cannot pass '"affordability" checks. He is worried that he may be running out of time to secure somewhere before his tenancy runs out.
"I can pay my rent even though I’m not working full time," Oscar told MyLondon. "It seems no matter what you do to better your life if it doesn't match the system then 'get out' - nothing seems to matter after all the hard work."
Oscar had been recommended London Living Rent, a scheme for middle-income Londoners to rent while saving up to buy a home of their own. However, they also rejected his application, stating that he needed to be earning £43,000 or above to be eligible and that benefits don't count towards his income.
The response was "painfully frustrating" for Oscar, who has been forced to start expanding his search. He is now looking further afield at properties in Brighton and Surrey, despite the fact that it would take him out of London where most of his work is.
It seems like the only way out is to find a full-time job. However, Oscar doesn't have enough time to go through the search and application process at the same time as finding new accommodation in such a short space of time.
