Representatives from SHAC together with housing campaign groups, trade unionists, and activists involved in local action assembled in central London on the 9th April. They sent a message to Michael Gove, Secretary of State for Levelling Up, that he needs to instruct landlords to cut their rents and end rip-off service charging. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8K3J2t6FADQ Watch our… Continue reading SHAC Protestors Tell Gove: “Cut Rents & End Rip-Off Service Charges”
By guest writer Sonia Reid I live in a block of 12 flats in Lewisham which are owned and managed by Hyde Housing. From September last year. We started the Right to Manage (RtM) process to make sure that Hyde will no longer be in charge of services for our block, and will not have… Continue reading Apple Tree Hyde Leaseholders Face Brighter Future
Tenants and leaseholders are sending a message to their housing association landlords: 'Cut the Rents and End Rip-Off Service Charging'. The message comes as a survey by SHAC revealed almost one quarter of respondents could not afford the rent rises being inflicted on them from April 2022. Around 85% will experience negative financial impact. Tenants… Continue reading Cut The Rents ~ End Rip-Off Service Charging
The first thing you notice about Hyde's email is a smiling woman, calculator in one hand, letter in the other. But many how of those receiving the emailed smiled on finding their rents would rise 4.1% from April? And how deep is their dread as they wait to find out how much more they will… Continue reading Hyde Hikes Rents
Residents of Hyde’s ‘Five Towers’ estate in Gosport celebrated this week after four years of collective challenge resulted in an apology and a refund of more than £106,000 for ‘erroneous’ service charges. This refund is in addition to £59,000 made to the same group of residents last year, and include a ‘goodwill gesture’ of £35 to… Continue reading Hyde: Tenants Force an Apology and a £106k Service Charge Refund
This week we interviewed Emma, a Hyde shared ownership tenant who will shortly hand back the keys to the Hyde flat she has lived in for 15 years. Emma will then become homeless. Emma has been driven out of her home - not by rising rents, but by extortionate service charges. One example is the… Continue reading Emma’s Story: Made Homeless by Hyde Service Charges
The amount collected by housing associations as service charge income has increased by 2.3% (£33 million) in one year, according to the consolidated returns of housing associations made to the Regulator of Social Housing. It brings the total income generated through this income stream to £1.5 billion in the 2020 financial year. Upward Trend The… Continue reading Associations Enjoy £33 million Service Charge Income Bonanza
A group of Hyde residents from an estate in Maidstone have begun withholding service charge payments in despair over their landlord's failure to provide accurate, reasonable, and evidenced accounts. Residents wrote jointly to inform Hyde that they were "withholding the service charge payments" because they have been requesting itemised invoices from the service charge team… Continue reading Hyde Residents Resort to Service Charge Strike
This is not a typing error. On a Hyde Housing estate in Sidcup, Kent, the housing association has charged tenants £140,398.68 for emergency light testing, servicing, and repairs work over a period of four years. All of those in the properties are on social rents. The charge equates to £2,924.97 per day. The work is… Continue reading Hyde Contractor’s 2000+% Profit on Fire Safety Services
SHAC@Hyde has forced Hyde Housing to relocate scaffolding after the danger to children, residents and pedestrians was exposed here. We understand that the landlord is now moving the structure to the rear of the building. A safer and less accessible location. The story was posted on our news feed after concerned residents from the estate… Continue reading SHAC@Hyde Forces Action on Safety
