Housing campaigners threaten to reveal the letting agency that couldn't care less

Community activists are threatening to reveal Cathays’ most reckless letting agency at a public meeting later this month.

Local resident and student campaigners for Home Sweet Home, who are working to improve communication and awareness of accountability among landlords and tenants, will publicly denounce the agency if it fails to address shortcomings. Community organiser Ewan Moor explained: “There are only a few agencies letting the sector down, that’s why we decided to go after the worst.”

Stating his support for the project Douglas Haig, of the Residential Landlords Association, agreed that, “10 per cent of the sector are flouting what they should be doing, and educated tenants make better choices.”

The meeting will be House of Horrors themed, although a date is yet to be confirmed.

Home Sweet Home activists spread the word

Home Sweet Home was established to empower local communities. Ewan Moor has explained that, “It aims to encourage local tenants who are not necessarily involved in public life, and do not see themselves as leaders, to build power collectively.”

The project started as a series of informal conversations between community organisers from Movement for Change and local tenants in coffee shops and pop-up living-rooms in the streets of Cathays. Findings from these early meetings included a student who had to leave her house after developing a lung infection due to mould, and a landlord who did nothing to address the situation when his tenants’ fire alarm shorted and the washing machine later caught fire.

Such incidents brought to light two key issues in the sector: reckless agents and a lack of accessible information on rights. Cardiff Council and Cardiff University Students’ Union provide such information, but many tenants are unaware of it. After discussions earlier this year local councillors have agreed to improve their provision and campaigners are due to meet with the Students Union to discuss the issue this week.

Home Sweet Home is not limited to Cathays, Mr Moor has said, ‘Once [we have] shown tenants can win change in Cathays, we’ll be encouraging other communities to take action as well.” You can read more about ongoing developments in the project on their blog.

Housing campaigners threaten to reveal the letting agency that couldn’t care less