Residents of Smithdown Court on Smithdown Lane in Edge Hill were locked out of their apartments without advance notice when receivers took possession of the building, leaving workers, students, and tourists outside with no access to their possessions.
Just after 5pm on Wednesday, October 14, a resident contacted the Liverpool ECHO to say he was being forced out of his rented accommodation, which he had booked for work purposes. Matt, who requested that only his first name be used, said he had booked the unit from October 5 to October 27 and paid in advance. He described arriving home to find a crowd outside the block and a man barring his entry, with no identification. He was told that receivers had taken over and that his booking was now invalid.
Confusion and Lack of Information
Matt told the ECHO that he informed the locksmiths that his belongings were inside and that he was not being allowed access, but all he received was a copy of a letter. When asked about assurances concerning the money he had paid, he said there were initially no assurances, no guarantees, and no plan for where residents were supposed to go. He was eventually allowed inside to collect his belongings, which he moved to the lobby where others were gathering. At that point, one-night hotel stays were offered, but Matt said he needed accommodation for the dates he had booked, and was told that only the one-night stays were available as a gesture of goodwill.
The ECHO saw a letter provided to residents, dated August 12 2026, which stated that Reward Finance Group Limited (RFG) had empowered Landwood Commercial (Manchester) Limited (LCM) to act as receivers and take possession of the property at 47-55 Smithdown Lane. This related to a legal charge from January 2024 between RFG and the site owner, DAM Group UK Property (Smithdown Court) Limited (DAM), run by Kevin Dryhurst.
Impact on Residents
Arriving at Smithdown Lane just after 6pm on October 14, the ECHO found several people waiting outside with packed bags and suitcases, waiting for taxis to take them to alternative accommodation. Some were heading to a hotel provided by LCM, while others had made their own arrangements, apparently unaware that a hotel stay was on offer. A student said he had come from university to be told he had to move out immediately, with more than ten days left on his rental agreement. Another man, who had rented a flat until November, said he was told to leave and was initially awaiting transport to a hotel with no knowledge of whether he would be refunded or have his hotel stay reimbursed. Several people left without knowing about the one-night hotel offer.
At approximately 7pm, a man arrived trying to enter the block, but his code did not work, and he said he had no idea what was going on. One of the receivers came out to speak with him after a few minutes.
Receivers' Response
Representatives for LCM placed a handwritten sign on the door at 6:50pm, stating that the receivers had booked a one-night stay for affected individuals, who should go to a hotel on North John Street. The sign did not offer information for those arriving later about what would happen to their possessions. LCM told the ECHO that it has now made contact with all affected individuals to ensure everyone has their belongings.
A joint statement from Reward Finance and Landwood Group (RFLG) on October 15 said every effort had been made to minimise disruption and manage the situation responsibly. According to the statement, Reward Funding appointed Landwood Group as receivers in August 2026 after working with the property owner for nearly a year, and further time was allowed to pursue a potential resolution before action became necessary. RFLG said it requested up-to-date information about occupants and bookings from the accommodation operator, which turned out to be inaccurate, meaning there were more occupants than expected. LCM said it adapted and began organising alternative accommodation.
An RFLG spokesperson said: “We recognise the disruption and distress experienced by people staying at the property and understand how difficult and unsettling the situation was for those affected.” The spokesperson added: “Following receipt of an updated occupancy list that afternoon, alternative overnight accommodation was arranged and funded for those affected, while supervised access was provided to enable people to retrieve their belongings.” Landwood representatives remained at the property long into the evening, and a notice was displayed at the entrance advising of alternative accommodation for any guests who arrived after they had left.
DAM Group's Statement
Kevin Dryhurst, owner of DAM, provided a statement via his legal team on October 19, saying: "The events that occurred on 14 October 2026 were regrettable." He explained that the company needed to secure refinancing of the property, which was taking longer than expected, and that the insurance on the property ran out, making it responsible to vacate the short-term guests for safety reasons. He added: "However, we are a responsible property owner, and as a responsible company, we organised alternative accommodation with the lender, receiver, and property manager to make arrangements for the guests as best as we could." He confirmed that all refunds have been and are being processed by the associated platforms, and that a new insurance policy is in place, which will be executed once refinancing is completed imminently.
