On Saturday 6th July, over 50 members across our Living Rent Southside branches made their way to Martin & Co’s offices to demand a halt to the proposed eviction of two of our members and their 14 year old child.

Our members, one of which is living with Stage 4 cancer, moved into the property in June 2022. Since then, they have suffered from mould and damp problems in four of their rooms. After nearly two years of dragging their feet, the letting agent finally agreed to send around a damp specialist who suggested installing a vent throughout the property. One month later, our members were served a notice to quit. 

Living with mould is hazardous for a tenant’s physical health, and often has serious implications for one’s mental and financial wellbeing. Our members experienced untold stress and were forced to incur the financial costs of purchasing industrial dehumidifiers and keeping them running. This was prior to the stress of a vulnerable person and her child being told that they had to leave their home. 

After nearly one hour of protesting outside of Martin & Co and making our voices heard to the agents and the community of Shawlands, our negotiating team were finally invited in to speak with the staff at Martin & Co. Despite cyclical rounds of communication and hostility on the part of Martin & Co, the negotiating team - which included the two members facing eviction - persuaded the agents to contact the landlord and confirm a meeting in the following fortnight. About a week later, our members received a letter:

The notice to quit had been rescinded. Our members will be staying in their home. 

This was a huge victory for the union and for our members. In this blog, we hear from our members whose home has been saved, as well as a member of the negotiating team:

“In a world where nothing is certain, it makes a huge difference to be able to depend on the support of an organisation like Living Rent. The situation that we found ourselves in through no fault of our own was like a slap in the face. We were excellent tenants who paid their rent on time and kept the landlords informed of any issues. 

Our minds were blown and we were thrown into a panic after being served with a notice to quit. The advice we received from the government agencies (that we were advised to contact) caused more distress than confidence. Noone was interested in listening to our story, they just wanted to put us onto the appropriate slot and move onto the next. 

When you are told that you are facing homelessness, it makes you feel as if you have failed your family, that your child is at risk and that the only life you know is one step away from being ripped away from you.

When we discovered Living Rent, it was at a point where we felt like this was a "Hail Mary" moment. We had followed all advice and it seemed like nothing made a difference. 

In contrast, Angus and Levi were immediately on the case, arranging meetings, listening to our story and making us feel.like individuals rather than just a number. Their support made us feel like we weren't in this alone. We felt like we had a chance that this would all work out. Living Rent strategised and formulated a plan to ensure that our needs and our story could not be ignored and encouraged the landlord to acknowledge that housing is not just about financial gain but a human right.

We felt as if Living Rent wrapped us up in a security blanket and were the buffer in some challenging negotiations. As a result of this expertise we have had the notice to quit rescinded and the refurbishments needed have been scheduled so that we have minimal disruption to our lives. Without Living Rent, we would have faced the last quarter of the year anticipating Christmas with dread, waiting for the axe to drop. Instead we are looking forward to enjoying the sunshine and having birthday celebrations.”

Angus, the member defence lead: 

It’s hard to push back against your landlord. It shouldn’t be, but it is. I know it from personal experience; countless times I’ve been treated unfairly but never felt I had the guts to stick up for myself, felt my own voice was inadequate. I felt dehumanised, little more than a number on a spreadsheet to someone. This all changed when I became active in Living Rent. I was facing a rent increase of over £120 a month. In short, we organised, we fought back and we won. 

When I first heard about the above case, I was shocked and appalled. It does baffle you somewhat that someone could attempt to evict a terminally ill person and their child for little other reason than greed. Despite this, I knew we would win.

I knew from personal experience how stressful, dehumanising and disempowering these types of conflicts are when you’re facing them alone. But I also knew that when you’re organised, when you’re fighting back together, you can achieve things you never thought possible. Individually we might feel dehumanised, but together we have power, together we could put across our point, that tenants are humans, and that what was being done was needlessly cruel.

The whole day was a bit of a blur, when we first showed up instead of being allowed in to talk like adults, we were greeted by two heavies on the door specifically sent to intimidate us.

It was clear that they were doing everything in their power to avoid talking with the tenant in question, desperate to avoid confronting the inhumane cruelty of their own actions. But we were undeterred by this, after some back and forth, we managed to convince them to allow a smaller negotiating team to enter, including the tenants but not including me. Being on the outside during the negotiations was a bit odd. I felt tense, nervous and anxious, but I had utmost faith in the tenants and our members inside. 

I was, frankly, somewhat disappointed that all we managed to secure on the day was a commitment to meet with the landlord, but this was undoubtedly a victory with them having ignored it when we politely requested it via email. But still, it felt like the fight wasn’t over, that we couldn’t allow ourselves to celebrate while this cruel eviction was still on the table. 

In contrast to the blurriness of the day of the action, the moment I found out the eviction wasn’t going ahead is crystal clear. I was overjoyed, knowing that due to our actions they’d be ‘celebrating Christmas instead of facing eviction’, knowing that I had a role in our union preventing the eviction of terminally ill woman and her child. It’s a feeling like no other. Much like I’ll never forget how empowered I felt on the day of my action, when other members showed up to support me, I’ll never forget how it felt to know I’d had a part in this. 

I knew we could fight back because I’d done it myself, because I knew I wasn’t doing it alone, because I knew we were organised and fighting together. It’s hard to push back against your landlord when you’re doing it alone, it’s a lot easier if we’re doing it together.