5 April 2026
| In this issue: – SHAC and members in the news – Service charge meeting – SHAC article – Missing Information and the Service Charge Maze – National housing protest – 1pm, Saturday 18th April, London |
 SHAC and Members in the News BBC News reported on our member Joseph who received a service charge increase of 300%. His income didn’t increase by 300%. His other household costs didn’t either. But government allows landlords (like Hastoe, a housing association in this case) to rip money from our pockets with these unjustified and extortionate rises. The article included SHAC’s comment highlighting the disregard by landlords for the impact of such increases, which is driving people into debt and into deep despair because they know the charges are extortionate and struggle to pay them. Read here. Please like and share: Instagram ~ Bluesky ~ Twitter ~ Facebook |
 Successful Service Charge Meeting Cases like that of Joseph led to a very well-attended meeting on challenging service charges last week, with 101 people in attendance. We discussed the importance of making a complaint to the landlord and escalating it when they don’t respond, contacting your local MPs and councillors, and joining with others to withhold payment if your landlord won’t address concerns. SHAC has useful resources here, and a dedicated web page for those withholding payment. We also have WhatsApp groups for peer support: SHAC Campaigns Tribunals Support Group SHAC Leaseholders & Shared Owners Group Housing Ombudsman Group Payment Strike Support Group For our collective action, we agreed to set up a new Parliamentary petition insisting that government acts to end such abuse. |
 Read Here SHAC Article: Missing Information and the Service Charge Maze Our member David writes about how service charges on his estate have spiralled, and how one email built a residents’ association. David has amassed exceptional evidence of service charge abuse by Peabody Housing, but his experience is all too common. He identified £500k worth of missing invoices, and service charge rises of more than 120% over a three year period. But David and his neighbours are fighting back. Read more here. Please like and share: Instagram ~ Bluesky ~ Twitter ~ Facebook |
 National Housing Demonstration Please join SHAC and more than 60 partner campaign groups and trade unions on the National Housing Demonstration in London on the 18th April. We are marching to demand genuinely affordable housing, rent controls and council homes. 1pm, Soho Square Gardens, London W1D 3QP Map – Nearest tube: Tottenham Court Road Station Add the date to your calendar here. See details of all SHAC events here. |
 SHAC Monthly Meeting Our next monthly SHAC meeting will hear updates on all our campaigns and is open to all members. It is an opportunity for you to share any campaigns or actions you are organising to challenge bad practice by your landlord. Please join us: 6.30pm, Thursday 23th April 2026 Zoom Link ~ Passcode: 459809 Add the appointment to your calendar here. |
| More Information |
| Join our WhatsApp Communities SHAC Campaigns Tribunals Support | SHAC Leaseholders & Shared Owners | Housing Ombudsman Payment Strike Clarion | Hyde | MTVHA | Notting Hill Genesis | Riverside / One Housing | L&Q | Southern | Peabody | Guinness | Home Group | THCH | A2 Dominion | Sanctuary | SNG Council Housing Tenants & Residents | Private Corporate Landlords |
 Nextdoor Network – Recruit to SHAC Join Nextdoor Posting a message on the Nextdoor app is one great way to encourage tenants and residents from your landlord (or other housing associations) to join SHAC and build critical strength. It will help to raise awareness of SHAC’s work and to encourage more recruits to lobby the Government and get our voices heard. Nextdoor is a Facebook-style social networking site that links people in the same locality. You can find out more and get set up here. |