Renting
How activists have fought back against the escalating housing crisis
The last five years have seen astronomical rises in rents, evictions and spiralling rates of homelessness but communities have been organising, fighting back and, whisper it, winning.
Written by: Micha Frazer-Carroll
Tenants are being left out in the cold by the cladding crisis
'We want our homes back' — When Grenfell-style cladding was removed from a Salford tower block in 2020, tenants had no idea it would take years to replace. With the government and the private housing association Pendleton Together at loggerheads over responsibility, residents of Holm Court have now spent three winters without insulation.
Written by: Jessica Bradley
Exploitative property guardianships are on the rise
People before profit — As inflation soars, companies are increasingly pushing guardianships as an affordable alternative – all while doubling their prices and allowing living conditions to deteriorate.
Written by: Clara Murray
Student renters are getting scammed out of their deposits
The great swindle — Rogue landlords are exploiting young and inexperienced renters and leaving them in mental and financial turmoil, reports Niall Hignett.
Written by: Niall Hignett
Trellick Tower residents are still fighting to save their home
Housing justice — As the iconic brutalist building turns 50, community members are banding together to prevent new threats to the tower and its surrounding area.
Written by: Shelby Wilder
The UK’s callous government is leaving people homeless
Broken system — A new investigation reveals that people in dire financial straits are losing their homes in a matter of minutes because of a legal system that has failed to account for the catastrophic impact of the pandemic.
Written by: Ben Smoke
Can a renters union really help you take on your landlord?
Fighting back, together — Across the country, landlords, letting agencies and tenant management companies are being challenged – and beaten – by grassroots organisers.
Written by: Ethan Shone
Anger over unaffordable homes isn't self-entitlement, us renters are treated like shit
From Where I Stand — Too often we're told by the generation before us, who benefited from the housing boom, that we should stop complaining. But Abi Wilkinson argues that feeling angry that owning a home is nothing more than an impossible pipe-dream isn't self-entitlement, it's the reality of living in a country that treats renters so awfully.
Written by: Abi Wilkinson