Residents of Liverpool’s famous Welsh Streets are celebrating after negotiating a historic deal with their landlord to lower this year’s rent increases by 80%, meaning hundreds residents who were facing increases of up to £300 a month will now pay less than £60 extra on average, saving £hundreds of thousands and stopping many from being priced out of their community.
Since March, residents of 290 households have been campaigning with their union ACORN to fight the 30% rent increase being imposed by their landlord build-to-rent company, Placefirst. After initial attempts to address the situation were rebuffed, a protest at the head office of Salford-based Placefirst secured residents and ACORN face-to-face talks with senior management.
As well as the actions in Liverpool and Salford, ACORN members also targeted Placefirst at a conference in Leeds and had them removed from a London awards night.
An initial offer of a 10% cap was angrily rejected by residents in May, and following further rounds of talks, an offer of 6% along with promises of a similar cap for next year was accepted in principle earlier this month. Yesterday residents and ACORN confirmed that the agreement has been finalised.
As well as the rent cap, Placefirst have also agreed to address failings around disrepair, communication and treatment of tenants, and have agreed to formally recognise a new Residents Association.
Lee Brady, a Welsh Street resident who began the campaign, said“Instead of just accepting the hikes, we decided to join ACORN. Placefirst had refused to negotiate – but our actions brought them to the table. It’s all about keeping people in their homes, supporting key workers, and preserving a vibrant Liverpool community.”
ACORN Liverpool branch secretary, Martin Mawdsley, said “this is a historic win not just for the union or the Welsh Streets, but for all renters in the country. A big private landlord dropping rent increases for this many people by 80% is unheard of. The fact the residents have managed to achieve this result reflects how hard they have worked and is proof that by getting organised and taking action, ordinary people can fight back and win!”
Across the country, rents are increasing by an average of 7% a year, but in Liverpool the figure is almost 10%. The Government is bringing in the Renters’ Rights Bill later this year, which will improve stability and security for renters and promises to make it easier for tenants to challenge unfair rent increases, but it has been beset with delays, and campaigners such as ACORN believe it won’t go far enough to address the issue of affordability.
Martin Mawdsley added, “While the new Bill will give tenants more security by banning Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions and strengthening the tribunal system, it does almost nothing to address the big issue of affordability. What renters really need are rent controls, but until then we will keep fighting the sort of ridiculous hikes Placefirst tried to force onto the Welsh Streets.”
