An estate agency in Aberdeen called in police after protesters gathered outside its offices to demand £30,000 in compensation for a former tenant who reportedly lived in a severely damaged flat for two years.
The demonstrations, organised by campaign group Living Rent, took place at Northwood Lettings offices in both Aberdeen and Edinburgh, highlighting alleged neglect of the rental property.
Aishat Muhammad, 48, lived in the three-bedroom flat with her daughter and grandchild while it was managed by Northwood Lettings. The property suffered from persistent water damage, with leaks affecting several rooms. The problems began in December 2023, when heavy rainfall caused severe ceiling leaks.
Aishat first reported the issues to Northwood Lettings in December 2023, but repairs were not carried out until November 2025. By January 2026, mould still remained in the main bedroom, and freshly plastered walls had yet to be painted.
During the protests at both Aberdeen and Edinburgh offices, small groups of around five demonstrators entered the branches to request a meeting about Aishat’s situation. In Edinburgh, protesters were reportedly able to speak with branch director Stuart Miller, who explained that as a franchise, the office could not intervene in cases managed by other branches.
At the Aberdeen Rosemount Place office, however, Living Rent stated that staff refused to engage with protesters or Aishat before calling the police. The demonstrators left the premises once officers arrived.
Northwood Aberdeen owners Steven Mearns, Laura Mearns, and director Matthew Pullinger have not met with Aishat to discuss compensation, alongside landlord Mark Goldsworthy. Living Rent said the cross-city protests were necessary due to Northwood’s failure to acknowledge responsibility, despite two previous demonstrations at the Aberdeen office.
In February 2026, Aishat and her family were evicted from the flat after Goldsworthy decided to sell the property. Since then, Northwood Lettings has ceased communication, stating that any further responsibility rests with the landlord.
Aishat is demanding a total of £30,000 in compensation from Northwood and Goldsworthy, calculated as a full refund of the 23 months of tenancy during which she paid the full monthly rent of £900 despite uninhabitable conditions and £9,300 in compensation for the distress experienced by her and her family.
Lee Matthews, Living Rent Aberdeen Community Organiser, told the press: “The escalation from Northwood Aberdeen to call the police is outrageous. Instead of sitting down together they have stonewalled Aishat and this act of escalation towards us is wholly unnecessary. All we want is to meet with Steve, Laura and Matthew and see accountability for their complete neglect of their tenant.
“This kind of treatment towards tenants is completely unacceptable. Landlords and letting agencies cannot be allowed to get away with this kind of behaviour. No one deserves to live in homes that leak water or with mould growing on the walls. The impact this has had on Aishat and her family has been huge.
“The matter of two years of disrepair is still unresolved and we continue to hold Northwood responsible for this as the contracted letting agency for that period. Despite repeated attempts from Aishat to raise these concerns, the seriousness of this situation has never been properly acknowledged.”
A Northwood spokesperson issued this statement to the medial: “Protestors claiming to be from Living Rent entered our Rosemount office on Thursday afternoon and started taking photographs and video of our staff who, understandably, were alarmed and felt intimidated.
“While we respect the right of groups and individuals to protest peacefully, Northwood has a moral and legal duty to protect our staff and to ensure their safety at all times.”
Read the orginal article: https://propertyindustryeye.com/estate-agency-calls-police-on-protesters-seeking-30000-tenant-compensation/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=estate-agency-calls-police-on-protesters-seeking-30000-tenant-compensation
