Across our branches, one issues that keeps coming up is the poor standard of repairs across social and public housing. Tenants are made to live in house unfit for occupation: ongoing damp, black mould, leaks and recurring poor standards of repairs leave tenants facing enormous heating bills, health issues from the damp and mould as well as stress of having to live in such conditions. Local member defence teams support tenants to fight for individual repairs, however we know that broader structural changes are needed too. Continue reading

Scotland’s tenants’ union calls for “proper rent controls to protect Scotland’s tenants” Living Rent, Scotland’s tenants’ union, has welcomed proposals to limit rent increases in private rented homes but cautioned that new measures need to go far enough in order to properly protect tenants. The proposed Fair Rents (Scotland) Bill, would cap annual rent increases to the “Consumer Price Index plus 1%” and allow private tenants to request a Rent Officer to determine a “fair open market rent” if they felt they were being overcharged. Responding to the consultation on the bill, Living Rent supported both measures but cautioned that the proposed limit on rent increases is too high. It adds that a one-size-fits-all approach will not be able to take into account local conditions, and called for local authorities to be able to set lower limits in their areas Continue reading

Living Rent Pollokshields and Shawlands branch statement    Continue reading

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Victory in Shawlands for Cally & Gary!   Continue reading

Scotland needs homes. End housing insecurity. Scotland has a shortage of homes. With social housing sold off to buy to let landlords, vast swathes of it destroyed over the past few decades and with the rest hidden behind unaccountable housing associations, our homes have become a precarious and uncertain environment. Continue reading

It's been a busy month for our Knightswood/Anniesland members! Read on and find out what they're doing, and how you can join them in building a tenant and community union in G13.  Continue reading

Living Rent Union members in the Muirhouse branch have published their 4th issue of 'The Six Blocks' documenting their struggles, concerns, and successes in their ongoing fight against Edinburgh Council for better public housing conditions. Access the fourth issue of this newsletter here. Continue reading

Passionate about social justice? Organising experience under your belt? Living Rent is looking for an experienced organiser to lead our staff team and grow the organisation. We believe in starting local, focusing on building up neighbourhood level branches of paying members that can then take on campaigns using a wide range of tactics including direct action. Continue reading

"Rent controls only solution to tenant hardship after coronavirus." Living Rent welcomes the Scottish government’s introduction of the £10m hardship loan fund for tenants struggling during these time. However, we fear that with such a fund, there is nothing stopping landlords from simply raising rent once they know that this fund is available to tenants. The only way to properly support tenants during this pandemic is the introduction of rent controls.    Continue reading