Parson Cross Hotel: Sheffield residents facing homelessness after 'slum' former pub is closed down
Residents in a former pub turned into rented accommodation are facing homelessness after it was deemed unfit to live in.
Tenants in the former Parson Cross Hotel, which is now used as a house in multiple occupation (HMO) say they are facing homelessness after being served Section 21 eviction notices.
They describe rats roaming in the hallways, widespread damp and mould, broken windows, holes in ceilings, non-functioning toilets and regular issues with water supply.
Sheffield City Council has deemed the building “not suitable for residential use” and issued an Enforcement Notice requiring all residential occupation to cease by June 17, 2026.
But residents say their landlord issued Section 21 “no-fault” eviction notices shortly after the council’s intervention, leaving them at risk of homelessness much sooner.
Jason Hudson, who has lived at the property since 2021, says he and his wife were told by their landlord that they must leave by February 26, despite being advised by Sheffield Council that they may need to remain in the property while waiting to be rehoused.
“It’s not right that I’ve had to live in a slum – and it’s even more wrong that he (the landlord) expects me to pay to live in one,” Jason said.
“Now we’ve basically been left homeless with very little time to make arrangements. We’re expected to pay withheld rent, this month’s rent and somehow afford a deposit on a new place.”
Jason says he also feels trapped between conflicting instructions.
“The council is telling us to stay put because there’s nowhere to rehouse us, but the landlord is telling us to leave,” he said.
“If he takes it to court and wins, I could be left paying his legal costs. I can’t afford that - either way, we could end up on the streets.”
He claims no meaningful repairs have been carried out since he moved in, despite repeated requests.
Jason claims a ceiling collapsed in a previous room and a smashed window left him exposed to cold temperatures for months.
He said he was later moved to another part of the building as part of what he was told were remedial works, but says the new accommodation does not have a functioning shower.
Instead, he claims he has been told to use another resident’s room to wash.
“My wife has to walk into another man’s room wearing just a towel to have a shower, it’s humiliating and completely unacceptable,” he said.
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Residents have also raised serious concerns about a car wash operating on the site.
They allege that when the car wash is in use, water to the residential accommodation is frequently shut off, leaving tenants unable to wash or use toilet facilities.
He added: “The council has known about this property for a long time. Nothing was done, and now the tenants are paying the price.
“Both the landlord and the council have failed us.”
The landlord at Shabere Limited was contacted for comment, but declined to provide one.
In a statement, Sheffield City Council confirmed the landlord has received multiple formal notices and letters relating to housing standards and building control compliance.
Sheffield City Council has confirmed that all current occupants are private tenants who rent directly from the landlord.
As a result, the council is not responsible for relocating them, though housing advice has been provided.
The property was previously licensed as a House in Multiple Occupation (HMO), but the council says it no longer meets the occupancy threshold required for HMO licensing.
To ensure residents’ safety while they remained in the building, the council issued an Improvement Notice to the landlord requiring certain hazards to be addressed.
That notice has since been revoked after the council said the identified hazards were dealt with adequately.
However, following several coordinated inspections involving Planning Enforcement, Private Housing Standards and Building Control, the council’s Planning Enforcement Team determined the building was not suitable for residential use.
An Enforcement Notice was issued requiring all residential occupation to cease by June 2026, giving residents time to find alternative accommodation.
The council has confirmed that since the former public house on the site closed, the building has been used for several unauthorised commercial activities.
An Enforcement Notice issued in July 2025 requires all commercial uses - including the car wash, storage operations and commercial parking - to cease by February 17.
The notice also requires the removal of temporary structures, advertising and fencing linked to those activities.
Jason said he feels tenants are bearing the consequences of long-standing failures.
“The landlord didn’t maintain the property, but enforcement didn’t happen soon enough either. Now we’re the ones suffering,” he said.