Research from Glasgow University looks at what tenants in the private rented sector think their rights should be in relation to their landlord. The study, by Adriana Mihaela Soaita, asked ‘everyday activists’ across Britain for their views.
Of the 60 people who responded, some were actively engaged in collective campaigning, while others had complained about landlords and agents, written to their MP or gone to court. Some hadn’t been involved in activism but were interested in it.
The responses showed people wanted the ability to make their housing into a home, for however long they chose to stay there. Some were also interested in social justice.
The top demand was rent control, with capping, freezes and reductions listed. Almost as important was the need for stability: people wanted tighter limits on eviction, and rolling or open-ended tenancies that tenants could have for the longer term, or opt out of without penalty.
Many tenants wanted more choice over the décor of their home and the ability to personalise it more. They also wanted higher standards, especially in HMOs, and minimum standards for repairs to be completed. For some, this was linked to more regulation, licensing and penalties for bad landlords. About a third of respondents wanted to be allowed to keep pets.
One participant commented:
“I’m sick of living in places where every wall is painted cream and every room has whatever carpet was cheapest at the time the landlord furnished it, in properties that haven’t seen a lick of paint in over ten years and have the same kitchen and bathroom as they had when built 30 years ago.”
Some tenants wanted a radical overhaul of the whole housing system. If landlords exit the sector, they felt, that would be a good thing – especially if the housing could be repurposed to provide good quality, affordable homes.
Moving from a right to housing to a ‘right to a home’, the author finds, will include a crucial element of self-representation for tenants. Participants in the study strongly asserted their right and wish to be involved in policy making to bring about better futures in the sector.
Everyday activism: Private tenants demand right to home
