Mar

The Guardian newspaper appeals to tenants – have you joined a tenants’ union?

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The concept of the tenants’ union is not a new one, tenants getting together and staging rent strikes dates back to the 19^th Century, and beyond, but the modern incarnation could in theory be more organised and widespread geographically, given the power of social media. But so far these groups are still disparate and disjointed.

A chequered history

One of the earliest instances of a British rent strike was the 19th century Great Dock Strike of 1889 when tenants withheld their rent in an ongoing battle against working conditions and precarious employment, with low pay.

This was followed in 1915 by the now famous Glasgow rent strike, organised by Mary Barbour, when tenants went on rent strike to protest the 25% rent increases proposed by private landlords. It led to the eventual introduction of rent controls during WW1, not removed for 85 years or so, enforced by the various 20^th Century Rent Acts, right up until the introduction of the shorthold tenancy in 1988.

The depression years of the 1930s saw further rent strikes in Leeds and London, organised by a Leeds Tenant Federation and a similar one in the East End of London. 1958 saw tenants in St Pancras London set up the United Tenants’ Association (UTA), a body that organised rent strikes and marches.

Tensions rose again in the 1960s involving violent riots and demonstrations, while the period between 1968 to 1973 saw a number of rent strikes organised by private tenants, with varying degrees of success. Around 11,000 London households withheld rent, and over 80 rent strikes and tenant protests took place across the country. One Liverpool strike lasted for 14 months and some protesters were imprisoned. The upheaval created eventually led to the passing of more legislation controlling rent rises.

Various student rent strikes have followed from the 1960s up to the present day, with varying degrees of success, but so far there’s been little in the way of major organised private renters’ strikes since those early days.

To the present day

The organisation of tenants into unions, as one might expect, is pretty disjointed given the geographical distances involved, diverse renter populations and the lack of awareness of unions by most tenants. However, there are three tenants’ unions that stand out today, having gained some traction:

– ACORN in a UK wide direct action union which claims to help tenants in the private and social sectors demand repairs, challenge bad landlords and letting agent practice, and stop illegal evictions

– The Greater Manchester Tenants Union claims to represent renters in the private and social rented sectors on issues such as deposits and repairs. It campaigns on safety matters and affordable housing.

– The London Renters Union is a campaigning union which takes action to win homes for people in need. It claims to help with issues such as stolen deposits, disrepair and eviction threats.

The Guardian appeal

The newspaper claims that the average UK rent has jumped by 8.6% in the past year, surpassing £1,000, they say, according to figures published this month, “while the cost of living crisis has meant many are struggling to heat their homes.”

Meanwhile, says the newspaper, “the number of no-fault evictions in England has been returning towards pre-pandemic levels, official figures published last November showed, despite government promises to ban the practice. There were 3,280 households in England put at risk of homelessness because of no-fault eviction notices between April and June 2021.”

The pandemic did focus students’ attention on rents they were paying, especially when not using their accommodation, so this period saw the largest wave of student rent strikes in four decades, as young people pushed back against hall lockdowns and paying for minimal in-person teaching.

The appeal:

“We want to hear from people who have joined a renters’ union in recent years. Why did you join? Did the pandemic impact your decision? Have you taken part in a rent strike, and if so, how did it go?” says The Guardian.

The newspaper is requesting contact by telephone or via a WhatsApp group following which one of their journalists will be in contact before publication.

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