Funny film makes serious point about renters’ poor treatment

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Shelter has produced a darkly comic short film to highlight the ‘broken rental system’, featuring a fictional letting agency and overly truthful agent.

Comedian Rory Marshall ambushes potential tenants browsing the property listings of Only Choice Lettings’ window, explaining features about the properties, including the lack of a boiler and contaminated drinking water. He tells one mother and child: “It’s all the original features. So we’ve got a working fireplace, asbestos, wooden floorboards.”

Haunted house

Back in the office he’s on the phone with another prospective tenant, saying: “Some people have said that the house is haunted, because the landlord will ghost you at the mere mention of mould! He will be there to collect the rent though.” The agent admits that he cuts a few corners but adds: “It’s either take what we’ve got or go and live on the streets, so…not really our problem.”  

All the properties mentioned in the two-minute online film are based on true stories according to the homeless charity which aims to use the film to help achieve its goal of making private renting safer and fairer, and to build support for the upcoming Renters’ Reform Bill, the ban on Section 21 evictions, and a national landlord register.

Grim reality

“Every day our services hear from private renters stuck in nightmare situations, too afraid to complain for fear of eviction,” says Osama Bhutta, director of communications, policy and campaigns at Shelter. “This satirical film will make you laugh at first, but then it will make you gasp. It is a powerful reminder of the grim reality of private renting where millions of people have no choice but to put up with poor conditions. We hope it will unite renters in the fight for home.”

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