WHAT WILL LABOUR DO TO HELP PRIVATE SECTOR TENANTS?

Have you ever had to pay ridiculous fees and charges to a letting agent?
Do you struggle with sky-high rents and massive rent deposits?
Are you sick of being ripped off in the Cambridge rental market?

Labour understands how people are struggling. We believe that extortionate fees, unfair practices and bare-faced exploitation of letting agents are unfair.

There is no magic wand to sort out the Cambridge housing crisis but a Labour City Council would immediately investigate setting up a Social Letting Agency to serve all private renters, as proposed by Labour Councillor George Owers. This agency would charge fair fees, and set standards for the wider rental market.

It would put service above profit, only deal with responsible landlords, and disallow practices like excessively high rent deposits and rent guarantors.

Labour will strengthen and extend the Landlord Accreditation Scheme, which sets and enforces standards for landlords on safety, maintenance and dealing with tenants fairly.
We are also determined to address the small minority of rogue landlords.

And Labour will work to increase housing supply in and near Cambridge to tackle the overheated sellers’ market, by building more housing, particularly affordable housing for rent.

We will use the powers and financial freedom given to the City Council by the last Labour government and investigate all options to build as many new local council and social rented homes as possible.

If you have a housing experience you want to share, or an issue you want to raise, contact me.

I am committed to working with Romsey residents to make local housing fairer for all.

Dave Baigent

Labour’s Manifesto for 22nd May City Election