Private tenants unite against rip off rental market

Tenants from Hackney joined other renters from Tower Hamlets and Islington to call for an end to the “rip-off fees, spiralling rents and exploitation” of private tenants.

The group met as part of the Let Down campaign, organised by London Renters, a coalition of private tenant associations, to protest against tenant fees, discrimination against people on housing benefit, unaffordable rents and short tenancies.

Members of the public were invited to join in a game of ‘housing crisis chance’ as part of a Monopoly-themed protest in Islington on Saturday 27 April.

According to London Renters new tenants are charged fees “between £100 and £500 for services such as reference checks, conducting an inventory or general admin fees”.

Heather Kennedy, of Hackney Renters, who are part of the coalition of London Renters, said: “Private tenants do not have a voice, they are isolated and very much on their own in dealing with issues.

“We want to make people realise they do have a voice and there are things we can do.

According to London Renters, agents such as Foxtons and Felicity J Lord charge tenants fees that are “rarely transparent” and not mentioned until “after [prospective tenants] have viewed a property”.

The group has also called for an end to the practice of preventing people on housing benefit from moving into privately rented properties.

Kennedy added: “It is out-and-out discrimination against people who are on benefits and people are relying on benefits more and more.

“There is no social housing left for people and so they are dropped into the private rented sector with no support at all.

“There seems very much to be this perception that private tenants are happy with the housing and services they are getting so we are trying to demonstrate that is not the case.

About 30 people turned out to support the cause which also saw action being taken in Brixton, Haringey and Herne Hill.

Raj Singh, a private tenant who lives in Hackney, said: “When I arrived at today’s action I realised just how wide the problem of letting agents in London is.

“A few days ago I’d have assumed that a private tenant who gets evicted has done something wrong but speaking to people today, I realise people get evicted all the time for no reason.”

Hackney Citizen approached Foxtons and Felicity J Lord to give right of reply but neither responded to our requests.