A lettings agency says it will have a meeting with a mother who says she is being unfairly evicted.

Bev Bishop staged a protest outside Wilkinsons in Brighton, backed by renters’ union Acorn.

She is angry that she has been given notice to leave because she was late in returning her new tenancy agreement.

Wilkinsons said it has now agreed to meet Ms Bishop to discuss the issue.

A spokesman for Wilkinsons said the company was committed to ensuring its landlords were kept “aware of their obligations both contractually and under statute and take all necessary steps to ensure compliance”.

He said the company was “concerned” about the matter but thought it may have been misrepresented.

He said: “The tenant started her tenancy on September 19, 2016, and was sent a renewal tenancy on December 14, 2017, for a fixed-term period of six months from February 19, 2018. The tenancy agreement was not returned by the tenant despite being chased, therefore it was deemed to be a ‘statutory periodic tenancy’. The tenant then handed back the tenancy agreement in March 2018.

“In April the landlord decided he may sell the property and notice under section 21 was served.

“The tenant verbally objected in the strongest possible terms to being served the notice and our office was visited by a representative of Acorn when the only member of staff present was a very junior negotiator.

“The landlord agreed to allow the renewed tenancy to stand even though it was handed back late, and the notice was rescinded.”

Wilkinsons said there had been an issue with damp dating from before the renewal tenancy was discussed and the landlord had “considerable” work done to the exterior and interior.

The spokesman said: “The decoration work will take place once the plaster has dried out with the tenant being given a dehumidifier to facilitate this.”

An Acorn spokesman said Ms Bishop maintained the tenancy was a 12-month fixed-term contract and it had evidence to support this.

He said: “We reject the claim that this tenancy was handed in late and Wilkinsons’ insistence on treating the tenant as being on a periodic tenancy when she agreed a fixed-term tenancy is in breach of the Eviction Act 1977.

“Beverly is a good tenant who pays her rent on time and feels she is being punished for daring to request Wilkinsons undertake necessary repairs. We look forward to meeting with Wilkinsons to find an amicable resolution.”