Social activist organisation Movement for Change has been running the Home Sweet Home campaign in Cardiff for two years, working to improve service and accountability in the private rental sector. Empowering groups who would normally engage in politics or government the Home Sweet Home campaign is a community run project through which resident activists are tackling reckless letting agents and landlords.
Following a successful campaign in South Riverside, Home Sweet Home moved to Cathays after residents approached them for help this Summer. Having gathered local testimonies from Cathays and South Riverside the activists have found three key areas within the private rental sector in Cardiff which need to be addressed:
- A lack of awareness and access to information on rights and responsibilities of tenants, letting agencies and landlords
- A lack of legal enforcement of these rights and responsibilities
- A lack of accountability of letting agents and landlords
With this is mind, Alt.Cardiff hit the streets to ask the good people of Cardiff and beyond, “How have you dealt with a problem land lord or letting agency?”
Anand Wills, 24, engineer, Cardiff:
“We had a landlord who decided to come and fly tip in our garden. We called the council thinking someone had dumped a load of rubbish and he came round asking why we had told them. He was angry and got physical with us. When we told the council they said that there was nothing they could do because he wasn’t committing a criminal act. The letting agency took no responsibility. If it happened again I know that the council does have a department that deals with bad landlords and sends them strongly worded letters so I would probably go to them.”
Lewis Church, 22, barber, Cardiff:
“Me and my girlfriend had a lot of mould problems in the flat we lived in for a year, which the letting agency never sorted out. They also charged us for things that weren’t actually in the flat. When we challenged them the process dragged on and on for about three months whilst they held on to our £700 deposit. We emailed the agency’s main office who were really rubbish and then we contacted the head office and that’s when things were sorted. We never received an apology. I wouldn’t know where to get help if it happened again.”
Celie Williams, 24, sales advisor, Cardiff:
“I’m currently renting from a letting agency that deal mostly with students. I’m a professional so I don’t really think it’s the best way to go. I’ve had quite a few problems that haven’t been dealt with from day one. Because I don’t have any communication with my landlord at I’ve gone straight to the agency but from past experience they’re all much the same. I don’t know anything about where I can get any help or information. I wasn’t aware that I could go to the council.”
Samya Mohamed, 23, film production co-ordinator, Cathays, Cardiff:
“I lived in a very old house that was practically falling apart, it had old beds, old cupboards, stained carpets etc. I left the property after 2 years and the landlord said he’d keep all the money I had given as part of my advance because according to him the bed was broken and there were stains on the carpet. I wrote him a letter explaining that any damage had been there before I moved in. But there was nothing I could do to get my money back. Landlords can get away with anything because people are unaware of their rights.”
Tim Gordon, 52, Journalist, Cardiff:
“The agency I was with were fine to begin with but when I left the house immaculate they insisted on charging me about 400 quid for cleaning which didn’t need doing. I found them to be useless throughout the time I was there. If anything was broken it took them ages to get it fixed. They really disappointed me at the end when they tried to scam me. There was nothing I could do about it really. If the same thing happened again I still wouldn’t know where to go for help.”
Cathays housing activists are calling for Cardiff residents to join them as they confirm the details of the meeting where they threaten to reveal the worst letting agency in the area.
Members of the Home Sweet Home campaign group are encouraging Cardiff residents to join them in holding the most reckless letting agency in Cathays to public account. They have confirmed that the House of Horrors themed meeting will take place at The Sherman Theatre on Sunday 2 November at 12pm.
Community organiser Ewan Moore explained that the activists want to hear your experiences and ideas on how to improve agency accountability. He said, “People attending the meeting will have a say. It is about building a dialogue around what we can do to remedy the situation.”
Social activist organisation Movement for Change has been running the Home Sweet Home campaign in Cardiff for two years, working to improve service and accountability in the private rental sector. Empowering groups who would normally engage in politics or government the Home Sweet Home campaign is a community run project through which resident activists are tackling reckless letting agents and landlords.
Following a successful campaign in South Riverside, Home Sweet Home moved to Cathays after residents approached them for help this Summer. Having gathered local testimonies from Cathays and South Riverside the activists have found three key areas within the private rental sector in Cardiff which need to be addressed:
- A lack of awareness and access to information on rights and responsibilities of tenants, letting agencies and landlords
- A lack of legal enforcement of these rights and responsibilities
- A lack of accountability of letting agents and landlords
With this is mind, Alt.Cardiff hit the streets to ask the good people of Cardiff and beyond, “How have you dealt with a problem land lord or letting agency?”
Anand Wills, 24, engineer, Cardiff:
“We had a landlord who decided to come and fly tip in our garden. We called the council thinking someone had dumped a load of rubbish and he came round asking why we had told them. He was angry and got physical with us. When we told the council they said that there was nothing they could do because he wasn’t committing a criminal act. The letting agency took no responsibility. If it happened again I know that the council does have a department that deals with bad landlords and sends them strongly worded letters so I would probably go to them.”
Lewis Church, 22, barber, Cardiff:
“Me and my girlfriend had a lot of mould problems in the flat we lived in for a year, which the letting agency never sorted out. They also charged us for things that weren’t actually in the flat. When we challenged them the process dragged on and on for about three months whilst they held on to our £700 deposit. We emailed the agency’s main office who were really rubbish and then we contacted the head office and that’s when things were sorted. We never received an apology. I wouldn’t know where to get help if it happened again.”
Celie Williams, 24, sales advisor, Cardiff:
“I’m currently renting from a letting agency that deal mostly with students. I’m a professional so I don’t really think it’s the best way to go. I’ve had quite a few problems that haven’t been dealt with from day one. Because I don’t have any communication with my landlord at I’ve gone straight to the agency but from past experience they’re all much the same. I don’t know anything about where I can get any help or information. I wasn’t aware that I could go to the council.”
Samya Mohamed, 23, film production co-ordinator, Cathays, Cardiff:
“I lived in a very old house that was practically falling apart, it had old beds, old cupboards, stained carpets etc. I left the property after 2 years and the landlord said he’d keep all the money I had given as part of my advance because according to him the bed was broken and there were stains on the carpet. I wrote him a letter explaining that any damage had been there before I moved in. But there was nothing I could do to get my money back. Landlords can get away with anything because people are unaware of their rights.”
Tim Gordon, 52, Journalist, Cardiff:
“The agency I was with were fine to begin with but when I left the house immaculate they insisted on charging me about 400 quid for cleaning which didn’t need doing. I found them to be useless throughout the time I was there. If anything was broken it took them ages to get it fixed. They really disappointed me at the end when they tried to scam me. There was nothing I could do about it really. If the same thing happened again I still wouldn’t know where to go for help.”
