Private Tenants

Haringey Private Tenants Action Group


NEXT MEETING: Tuesday 25th February 2014 7pm, in Cafe Life, North London Community House, 22 Moorfield Road, nr Bruce Grove Station N17 6PY, off Tottenham High Road. All welcome!

Landlords are increasing rents to unaffordable levels, discriminating against people on housing benefit – and private tenants are left vulnerable to exploitation and abuse. Housing is a fundamental right. Unless we take action together our voices will remain unheard and our situation will remain precarious. There are over 25,000 private tenants in Haringey – let���s get together and take action!

Support one another Join together with other private tenants to support one another, share experiences, solve problems and take action collectively

Campaigning  We can campaign for Haringey Council to support private tenants. For example, at the moment they run a landlords forum to support landlords – but there is no tenants forum. Why not?

Challenge landlords  We need to take back control of our lives and demand the right to affordable and secure housing. Housing is a necessity, and no one should be discriminated against for being low waged or on housing benefit. We can name and shame all landlords and letting agents who discriminate and charge unaffordable rents. We can also help to empower tenants to try to negotiate with their landlord over rents. Landlords can be persuaded to keep a reliable, known tenant on a lower rent, rather than have to go through a costly and inconvenient process of finding a new tenant.

Haringey Private Tenants Action Group meets monthly to support one another with renting problems, discuss taking action to improve housing for us all and improve the rights of private tenants in Haringey.

Email for more info: haringeyprivatetenants@gmail.com

Join us to take back our right to decent, affordable & secure housing!

Haringey private tenants developed the following list of demands along with Haringey Housing Action Group and Haringey Solidarity Group back in Summer 2012.

OUR DEMANDS:

AFFORDABLE, DECENT, SECURE HOUSING FOR ALL

  • Rents brought down to affordable levels Landlords should be not be making a profit or gaining an extra home out ofsomeone’s basic need for housing
  • No evictions due to inability to pay e.g. due to cuts to benefits, unaffordable housing, loss of job

  • All housing to be maintained to a high quality standard

  • Tenant empowerment No decision about tenants, without tenants
  • All housing to be seen as a public resource Not for exploitation as a private gain

TO LETTING AGENTS AND LANDLORDS

  • Removal of all fees for prospective tenants Admin ‘fees’, reference check ‘fees’, leaving ‘fees’ etc

  • No discrimination against people on welfare benefits

  • No discrimination against people who are self-employed or low-waged

  • Secure tenancies for all For as long as you want to stay


TO HARINGEY COUNCIL

  • Ensure an adequate supply of council housing for all that need it, when they need it and in the area they wish to live. No loss of existing council housing
  • Ensure all new developments contain 100% social housing Whether it’s subsidised with public or private funds
  • Fair treatment of those facing eviction e.g housing people in priority need before their day of eviction
  • Set a maximum rent level for private renting in Haringey and insist all landlords adhere to it
  • Support private tenants in securing their rights toa decent, secure and affordable home

Recent action to support private tenants:

  1. Protest at Apex House to demand the council provide support to private tenants, including ensuring nobody is evicted due to inability to pay (Friday 3rd Aug)
  2. Meeting with housing officers (Friday 3rdAug)
  3. Lobby of Haringey Council run Landlords Forum (Thursday 20th Sept)
  4. Regular meetings of solidarity & supporting each other to take action to solve our housing problems (meetings every fortnight)
  5. Ensuring tenants know their rights (leafletting, increased information on website, meetings etc)
  6. London-wide networking, encouraging groups to set up elsewhere, plus putting resources on website for others to use, Housing for the 99% etc.
  7. Community Housing Inspectors protest at Letting Agents along Green Lanes. Demanded that letting agents accept people on housing benefit, reduce rent, and end fees for tenants, and increase length of tenancies. Up to 700 leafelts given out and around 20 people actively involved. (Saturday 6th Oct)
  8. Drivers & Norris demonstration to support tenants to demand their money back when they were not provided their money back put down to secure a home ��� which was no longer offered to them. 700 leaflets given out to passersby and up to 20 people attending. (Saturday 14th July)