Complaints Procedures, Damp and mould, Fire Safety & Cladding, Health and Safety, Housing Law, Housing protest, Rents, Service charge fraud, Service Charges, Service Cuts, Tenant & Resident Democracy

Action on Disrepairs Protest

Rohana* has contacted SHAC. She tells us about the appalling conditions that her sister and her severely disabled nephew are having to endure. Her landlord is Peabody and they are refusing to repair the leak causing the damp and mould. The photos show the kitchen ceiling before and after it collapsed. The kitchen is no… Continue reading Action on Disrepairs Protest

Clarion, Clarion Housing, Complaints Procedures, HA Service Charges, Housing Law, Housing protest, Rent Strike, Rents, Service charge fraud, Service Charges, Tenant & Resident Democracy

Clarion Service Charge Strike Victory!

A Clarion tenant has become the first to secure restoration of her previous year’s service charge through strike action. She will no longer need to pay the increase applied by her landlord on the 1st April 2023. Earlier this year, Clarion notified Anna that from 1st April, her payments would rise from £16.39 to £107.96 per week,… Continue reading Clarion Service Charge Strike Victory!

Complaints Procedures, Gas Charges, HA Service Charges, Housing Law, Housing protest, Regeneration, Rents, Service charge fraud, Service Charges, Service Cuts

Challenging Service Charges: Following The Money

Challenging service charge inaccuracies is a long, bitter annual struggle for housing association tenants and residents. The process appears to be designed to confuse, wear down, and frustrate any attempt at scrutiny, even though the service charge bills are often for hefty payments that households are obliged to make, even when they know they are… Continue reading Challenging Service Charges: Following The Money

Complaints Procedures, Electricity Charges, Gas Charges, HA Service Charges, Housing Law, Housing protest, L&Q, Peabody Trust, Rents, Service charge fraud, Service Charges, Southern Housing, Staff Concerns, Tenant & Resident Democracy, Utilities

Hexagon Households Start Service Charge Strike

The service charge strike wave continues. A significant number of households from the same Hexagon estate in London are the latest group of housing association residents to inform their landlord that they are withholding payment in a dispute over service charges. The residents describe being forced to take this step as a last resort “in… Continue reading Hexagon Households Start Service Charge Strike

Complaints Procedures, HA Service Charges, Housing Law, Housing protest, Hyde Housing, Rent Strike, Rents, Service charge fraud, Service Charges, Service Cuts, Tenant & Resident Democracy

Hyde Slaps Gove Down Over Complaints Handling

Hyde Housing has slapped down Michael Gove's department over attempts to improve housing association complaint handling. The 50,000 home landlord has hit back at government pressure by issuing a new, more restrictive, complaints policy. Hyde will no longer investigate complaints about rents or service charges, even if the complainant is highlighting extortionate, inaccurate, or fraudulent… Continue reading Hyde Slaps Gove Down Over Complaints Handling

Clarion, HA Service Charges, Housing protest, Hyde Housing, L&Q, MTVHA, NHG, Notting Hill, Notting Hill Genesis, OHG, Optivo, Peabody Trust, Rent Strike, Rents, Riverside, Sanctuary Housing, Service Charges, Southern Housing, Tenant & Resident Democracy, Waive The Rents

Rent & Service Charge Strike Pledges Grow

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

Housing protest, Rent Strike, Rents, Tenant & Resident Democracy

No Support from Labour’s Shadow Housing Minister

Freeze Rents & Service Charges Campaign This report is written on behalf of SHAC and does not represent the views of the Homes for Us Coalition The Labour Party will not support the call for a freeze on rents and service charges, according to Matthew Pennycook, Shadow Minister for Housing and Planning. The statement was… Continue reading No Support from Labour’s Shadow Housing Minister

Alternative housing awards, Clarion Housing, HA Service Charges, Health and Safety, Housing protest, Hyde Housing, Rent Strike, Rents, Sanctuary Housing, Service charge fraud, Service Charges, Tenant & Resident Democracy, UK Housing Awards

Protests Force Cancellation of Housing Executives Awards Extravaganza

We won, and it's worthy of a celebration. It took 54,000 signatures on a petition, and a threatened mass mobilisation to picket & protest at the event. It also took an increased media focus on the failings of the social housing sector which was triggered by a coroner confirming that a two year-old boy had… Continue reading Protests Force Cancellation of Housing Executives Awards Extravaganza

Complaints Procedures, Electricity Charges, HA Service Charges, Health and Safety, Housing Law, Rents, Service charge fraud, Service Charges, Tenant & Resident Democracy, Utilities

Housing Solutions Tenants’ Long Wait for Energy Rebate

Soaring energy costs and the groundswell of anger against energy companies' vast profits forced the Conservative government to announce in April 2022 that it would discount household energy bills. The announcement proclaimed: The Energy Bills Support Scheme provides a £400 non-repayable discount to eligible households to help with their energy bills over winter 2022 to… Continue reading Housing Solutions Tenants’ Long Wait for Energy Rebate

Complaints Procedures, Damp and mould, Disability, Fire Safety & Cladding, Gas, Gas Charges, HA Service Charges, Health and Safety, Housing Law, Regeneration, Rents, Service charge fraud, Service Charges, Service Cuts, Social Cleansing, Tenant & Resident Democracy

Damp and Mould: Gove’s Double Standards

Awaab Ishak died in 2017 in a home infested with mould which had a catastrophic effect on his breathing. His parents complained to their housing association landlord, Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH), but the landlord repeatedly failed to address the causes. No-one in authority seemed able to force them to make the necessary fixes. Michael Gove… Continue reading Damp and Mould: Gove’s Double Standards