After a decade of fighting, Living Rent members have pushed the government to pass rent controls!
For a decade, Living Rent members have been taking action, talking to politicians, appearing in the press, knocking on doors, gathering signatures, and growing in numbers to demand rent controls which stop rents from skyrocketing and protect tenants in our homes. Ahead of the vote, we staged our biggest rally yet outside the Scottish Parliament, a massive show of support for rent controls.
Last week, MSPs in parliament voted to pass the Housing Bill and with it, rent controls. This bill would not exist without the organised work of Living Rent members. It caps rent increases between tenancies, clamps down on disrepair, and strengthens joint tenancy rights.
It is the power of ordinary people standing up for what they believe in, working together, and refusing to give up, that has made this happen.
And yet, this victory is still far from the real changes that we need. The rent controls proposed are the bare minimum, and many of us will find ourselves left unprotected. Now as ever, we need to come together to defend ourselves from unfair treatment and put power back in the hands of tenants.
The tireless work of unions has improved our lives through increased wages, the right to vote, sick pay, holiday pay and weekends - we aren’t going to stop now.
Join the fight for stronger rent controls and continue our fight for rents that we can afford.
