Yesterday, Renters’ Rights London received word from Minnie, in Caroline Lucas’ office, to tell us that the Bill is so far down the list for Second Reading that it won’t be heard on the day. Measures to promote long-term tenancies are also included, although it’s hard to know how these could be implemented universally when many buy-to-let mortgages (and as the average landlord has one or two rental properties, there are very many buy-to-let mortgages) include clauses that prohibit offering any tenancy of longer than twelve months. The recommendations would be reported to Parliament by the Secretary of State.Īs Londoners are now spending two-thirds of average income on rent and more than one third of working people are eligible for housing benefit to meet their rents, this looked to be a positive initiative. The Bill proposed establishment of a Living Rent Commission to conduct research into, and provide proposals for, reducing rent levels in the private rented sector. I was hoping to be able to offer you more details of The Housing (Tenant’s Rights) Bill, which was expected to have its second reading debate on Friday 24 March. Hopefully, Christine will keep Renters’ Rights London informed of developments because if all goes well for Quaggy Housing Co-op, this model could work for others, too. If you’re interested in joining Quaggy Housing Co-op, email Christine *protected email*. This type of co-op isn’t currently common in the UK, but we feel that this is a better model in London at the moment, because it helps to compensate for the fact that the rents won’t be cheap to start with, and because it will hopefully put people in a better position to secure decent housing if they have to move on in future.” This means that when you leave, you would be entitled to take this money with you. We are using a form of housing co-op known as Mutual Home Ownership Society, which means that some of your rent goes towards building up equity in the house (as if you were paying off your own mortgage). We hope to get somewhere with big enough for five to six people, with room to expand (perhaps for children in future!). We’ll be sharing some communal space and some meals. The exact area yet is to be decided between those in the group but realistically, it’s likely to be in Zone 3 or 4. We’re hoping to buy an existing property in South London. We’re setting up a housing co-op together as we enjoy communal living but don’t like the lack of control or security that having a private landlord inevitably entails! “We’re a group of four single adults in our 30s, in the process of setting up a new housing co-op in South London, and are looking for new members! We’d describe ourselves as left-leaning, and most of us are involved in political or community activism. Please tell us about your experience of letting agents’ fees?Ĭhristine wrote to Renters’ Rights London to tell us about Quaggy Housing Co-op, recently formed and currently seeking new members. You can remain anonymous, if you prefer, but please be assured that Renters’ Rights London won’t share your personal details with anyone, anyway the details of your story stay with us. Whether you rent your place via an agency now or have done so in the past, we’ll be grateful if you’ll share your experiences and views. Renters’ Rights London is still seeking your informed opinions, therefore, to ensure that our response to consultation is as robust as it needs to be. It’s hard to justify charging such high prices for this service but sadly, because they still can, some agencies still do. So far, fees for renewal of a tenancy seem to be the most unreasonable. We’ve found out about some absolutely shocking fees charged to renters around London. Thank you very much indeed to everyone who has already been in touch about letting agents’ fees. Lucky 30-somethings are invited to join a South London housing co-op seeking and everyone is invited to contribute to IPPR research. Thanks to Laurence at Zed Books, there’s a special offer on some relevant Spring reading.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |