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

Southern (Optivo) Tenants Declare Service Charge Strike

Residents of an Optivo (now Southern Housing) estate in Putney have written to chief executive Paul Hackett explaining that as of April, they will be withholding their service charge payments. They join a growing group of housing association tenants and residents to resort to this tactic after attempts at resolving issues with their landlord fail.… Continue reading Southern (Optivo) Tenants Declare Service Charge Strike

Complaints Procedures, HA Service Charges, Housing Law, Housing protest, Hyde Housing, Rent Strike, Rents, Service charge fraud, 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, 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

Complaints Procedures, Housing Law, Onward, Riverside, SBHA, SBHG, Service Cuts, Shepherds Bush Housing Association, Shepherds Bush Housing Group, Tenant & Resident Democracy

Riverside Suffers Setback on Cap for Disrepairs Compensation

Government has announced that it is to delay limiting the amount in legal costs that can be recovered for housing disrepair cases. The cap was originally introduced following intensive lobbying by housing associations - led by Riverside - as this group of landlords so often fail to make timely and effective repairs. The cap was… Continue reading Riverside Suffers Setback on Cap for Disrepairs Compensation

Complaints Procedures, Housing Law, Onward, Service Cuts, Tenant & Resident Democracy

A Tenant’s Lament: January

A Typical Year in the Life of an Onward Tenant In this series of articles, Michael Harrison describes in detail the unnecessary torments of life with a housing association landlord. January 2022 The year began with the continuation of the farce which started on December 4th last year when the front door lock was changed… Continue reading A Tenant’s Lament: January

Autism, Complaints Procedures, Electricity Charges, Fire Safety & Cladding, Gas Charges, HA Service Charges, Health and Safety, Housing Law, Service charge fraud, Service Cuts, Tenant & Resident Democracy

Trapped, Stressed and Impoverished: SHAC Research on Service Charge Abuse

In August 2022, SHAC began to survey members to capture the range of problems they experience with service charges, and the impact on their physical, emotional, and financial well-being. Our aim is to show the extent of service charge abuse by housing associations, and we have now published an initial report based on the first… Continue reading Trapped, Stressed and Impoverished: SHAC Research on Service Charge Abuse

Clarion, Clarion Housing, Complaints Procedures, Damp and mould, Fire Safety & Cladding, Health and Safety, Housing Law, Housing protest, Tenant & Resident Democracy

Clarion Board and Management Need Serious Repairs

It’s become a familiar story, but no less devastating for the victims. When Selma was offered a home exchange by her landlord Clarion, she went to visit their prospective new home in Wimbledon, south London. What she saw was a nice property, albeit cluttered and overfull as the sitting tenant clearly had a hoarding problem.… Continue reading Clarion Board and Management Need Serious Repairs

Complaints Procedures, Electricity Charges, Fire Safety & Cladding, Gas Charges, HA Service Charges, Housing Law, OHG, Riverside, Service charge fraud, Service Cuts, Tenant & Resident Democracy

One Housing Tenant’s Non-Payment Forces Service Charge Freeze

A tenant’s refusal to pay a 60% increase in service charges has forced One Housing Group (OHG, now part of Riverside) to freeze its service charges for 2022/23 on her estate. When Angela* opened a service charge leaflet from her landlord in February 2022, she was angered to find a demand for a payment increase of 60%. The service charge hike did… Continue reading One Housing Tenant’s Non-Payment Forces Service Charge Freeze

Complaints Procedures, Damp and mould, HA Service Charges, Homes England, Housing Law, Regeneration, Service Cuts, Tenant & Resident Democracy

A Flurry of Reaction

Over recent weeks Government has finally taken some action to improve housing associations and their performance. A few of the ideas were already in train, but others have been triggered by recent catastrophic events such as the coroner’s ruling on toddler Awaab Ishak's death. One such initiative comes directly from Michael Gove’s Department for Levelling… Continue reading A Flurry of Reaction

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