By Yasmin Barnes*, a Northcourt resident This article was for SHAC was promised in July, not long after a meeting between our MP and the chief executive of our landlord, MTVH, over incorrect service charges; a complaint that had already dragged on for ten months. We delayed sending it because we thought it might be… Continue reading North Court Residents Challenge MTVH’s £14k Attempted Overcharge
Rent and service charge strikes are growing across England according to a new report published by SHAC. The snapshot report was published following a survey of members, and sought to identify growth and trends. I am withholding payment because Clarion raised the service charge 20% without informing me any details or reasons beforehand. Nina, Clarion… Continue reading SHAC Rent and Service Charge Strikes Grow and Collectivise
SHAC and FindOthers have published research which highlights the extent and impact of service charge abuse by housing associations. The findings reveal the shocking effects of twin factors, with high levels of inaccuracy allowed to go unchecked by any government regulation or control, combined with a fierce resistance by landlords to addressing inaccuracies even when… Continue reading New Research Reveals Devastation in Wake of Service Charge Abuse
The dispute by the Royal Mint Court Residents Association (RMCRA) in east London is now underway after their landlord, Metropolitan Thames Valley Housing Association (MTVHA), failed to fully address their issues. A small group of RMCRA members notified MTVHA of their intention to strike at the end of 2022 unless a series of concerns over… Continue reading Some Success as MTVHA Residents’ Strike Grows
More than 400 tenants and residents have pledged to support rent and service charge strikes in protest at rent increases and extortionate service charge rises, which will coincide with further hikes in energy bills. The pledges were made by tenants and residents actively resisting sharp rises in housing costs which are threatening the affordability of… Continue reading Rent & Service Charge Strike Pledges Grow
Residents of a Metropolitan Thames Valley Housing (MTVH) estate in east London have threatened to withhold payment of service charges in dispute which includes a ‘missing’ £100,000 from the building’s sinking fund which they want refunded. Sinking funds are pots of money that residents pay into, exclusively reserved for any major maintenance or repairs needed… Continue reading Royal Mint MTVH Residents in Service Charge Strike Threat
Leaseholders in an east London block of flats owned by Metropolitan Thames Valley Housing Association (MTVH) are withholding service charge payments from the start of June. The strike threat alone however has already secured a partial victory. Leaseholders and Shared Owners will now receive a refund of the increased service charges that were applied from… Continue reading MTV Residents Score Partial Victory but Strike On!
Leaseholders in an east London block of flats owned by Metropolitan Thames Valley Housing Association (MTV) are set to withhold service charge payments from the start of June having failed to get answers to a number of questions relating to their charges. Resident Rob Holden* explains: “Despite our countless efforts to get some answers and… Continue reading MTV Residents’ Service Charge Strike Threat
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”
The Equality Act 2010 requires housing associations to make ‘reasonable adjustments’ which allow disabled people to access the same opportunities and services as non-disabled people. It requires employers and providers to consider disability in everything they do and to actively anticipate the need for reasonable adjustments as far as possible. The onus is on landlords… Continue reading Disability Dossier: A Catalogue of Shame
