Bouncing back after losing my business and home

CHARITY GODSEND FOR RUBI AFTER MARKET CLOSURE AND FLAT EVICTION

- NAOMI DESOUZA

A BIRMINGHAM business owner has told of how she "lost everything" in a devastating three-month period.

Rubi Das once ran a thriving vintage stall in Birmingham's Oasis Market in Priory Square shopping centre, which closed suddenly in March 2025.

What followed was a perfect storm of misfortune for Rubi, who, shortly after losing her stall, was served with a Section 21 notice, which allows landlords to evict tenants without a reason within eight weeks, in what is known as a no-fault eviction.

Within a matter of months, Rubi had lost her home and livelihood of ten years - Roobs Vintage.

"I was made homeless by a Section 21 by my landlord, not because I was in any debt but because he wanted to take back the flat.

"I was in a flat for ten years in Great Barr. He wanted to sell it," said Rubi. "I was known for selling corsets to TV companies, I did quite a lot, everybody knew it."

Rubi said the week where she and other businesses were told to leave the markets brought "shock and devastation."

She is now rebuilding her life with the help of Tabor Living in Birmingham, a homeless accommodation that helps the 'working homeless.