Building the power of renters in London
We’re a members-led, campaigning union and we’re taking action to make sure all Londoners have a decent, affordable and secure home.
We’ve started building towards the launch of our first branch in Newham and we’re currently preparing for our summer membership drive.
If you’re a private renter in Newham, you can now sign up to become a founding member of the London Renters Union and join the fight to win better housing for everyone.
If you don’t live in Newham, follow us on Facebook and Twitter or leave us your details using the form below. We’ll be in touch very soon with information about how you can get involved and become a member.
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Our mission
We all know London’s private renters are getting a rotten deal. Tenancies are too short, disrepair is too common, and rents are higher than almost anywhere in the world.
But it doesn’t have to be this way. Right across Europe there are examples of more humane systems, where renters can access affordable, decent and secure homes.
We believe it’s time for a union that will stand with and for London’s private renters: a union that will fight for a fair deal for renters and build the power we need to transform our housing system.
We want a union that is powerful and member-led, that listens to and empowers London renters, in all their diversity. And we want to launch the first branches in 2017.
Join with us to help make this happen!
Why we need a Renters Union
London’s housing system is broken. The market is stacked in favour of landlords and investors, who profit from the current system. Meanwhile runaway house prices and a dearth of social housing mean millions are stuck in private renting, forced to live with rent rises and the constant threat of eviction.
Housing is at the centre of our unequal and insecure society. The current rental market in London benefits only a minority of big landlords – who are piling up wealth at our expense. Rents are swallowing an increasing amount of our take-home pay – Londoners spend a shocking two thirds of their wages on rent. It’s no surprise that a million renters in the capital are living in poverty. Renters find it difficult to stay in one place. This wrenches communities apart and makes building a stable home impossible.
We cannot rely on politicians. The government has proved unwilling to fix the housing crisis of its own accord. Homeowners and landlords are represented by powerful lobbying bodies – yet private renters have no collective voice. Renters have formed tenant unions in New York and Berlin – so why not in London?
A union can build the power we want to create the change we need. A Renters Union in London could help individual private renters and take action over issues such as rogue landlords. A city-wide collective body for renters could put pressure on the mayor and turn the heat on the government to build a fairer housing system.
By 2025 a majority of Londoners will be private renters. It’s time to organise and demand housing justice. It’s time for a Renters Union!
We hope you will join with us to help make this happen.
To get involved in developing our strategy, or helping with outreach, communications, fundraising, or events, please contact us on renterspowerproject@gmail.com.