“GMLC believes that renting a property is as dangerous as driving a car and tenants should have the same protection against dangerous landlords as we do against dangerous drivers.”
Sign the petition to support the campaign for landlord licensing: starting with Manchester
We fight for everyone’s right to a secure home. This means supporting homeless people and private renters who come to us for legal advice and representation, and it means campaigning for change.
Our housing solicitor saw a tenant yesterday. Her property has been in a terrible state of repair since she moved in 4 years ago. The landlord claimed he couldn’t afford to do the repairs and demanded advanced rent to pay for the works. The repairs have still not been done. The tenant complained to the Council, explaining that her children’s asthma was getting worse as a result of the leaks and damp. The Council served the landlord with a Notice requiring works. Still no repairs. The landlord told the tenant to pay for the works herself and deduct it from the future rent. The tenant did this and paid for the repairs herself, at a cost of over £1000.
The landlord served Notice and a claim for the missing rent.
The need to strengthen tenants’ rights is clear. We campaign alongside others to effect change which will prevent people needing legal action in the first place.
GMLC believes that renting a property is as dangerous as driving a car and tenants should have the same protection against dangerous landlords as we do against dangerous drivers.
We believe that the following should be compulsory:
- A Landlord Test,
- Mandatory Landlord Licence,
- Compulsory insurance (for repairs, compensation, and legal advice), and
- A yearly property MOT.
Landlords renting without the above should be disqualified from renting and face penalties in the same way as dangerous drivers, driving dangerous cars.
Sign the petition to support the campaign for landlord licensing: starting with Manchester
Our local Acorn renters’ and community union share our demand: everyone should have a right to a secure home.
They are campaigning for expanded landlord licensing in Manchester, which would:
– Create a publicly available register of local landlords and ban criminal and slum landlords
– Let Manchester City Council inspect every property for bad conditions and force landlords to make repairs
– Protect tenants from eviction
We encourage our supporters to support this campaign, as well as other campaigns across Greater Manchester which share our principles.
