Rents in Scotland are out of control. Scottish private tenants – those who rent from a landlord or letting agent - have the worst protections against eviction in Europe. Tenants are being forced into poverty, while house prices and a lack of social housing means there’s no alternative. Rent controls are the norm in most of Europe and were used in the UK until the 1980s. Landlords claim that rent controls would drive up prices and cause housing shortages, but this isn't the case in countries like Germany, France and the Netherlands. Moreover, some tenants are evicted because the landlord doesn't want to do the repairs they've asked for, while others worry that a bigoted landlord may evict them because of their beliefs or sexuality. We want the Scottish Government to: 1. Bring rents under control: Introduce rent controls that ensure rents are set at affordable levels, and that increases don't force tenants into poverty. Rents should be determined by the quality, size, location and facilities of the home. 2. Protect tenants from eviction: Get rid of the 'no-fault' ground for eviction, so that tenants cannot be evicted unjustly. Ensure that all grounds for eviction are 'discretionary', so that a tenants circumstances are taken into consideration.

In the first place, it advantages folk who are paying far less rent than those who have to rent in the private sector. They should not then be able to buy the houses at a cut price, while reducing the stock of affordable housing. It isn't as if we have an oversupply of such housing and it really isn't fair! People in affordable housing should use their advantage to save a deposit and buy on the open market, like everyone else has to do which would free up their housing association house for those who need it. We need more affordable housing not less. We have families in bed and breakfasts.

The number of people living in social housing in this country is in decline. As waiting lists continue to grow, more and more people are being forced into private rented housing instead. This is leaving thousands of families and vulnerable households without a suitable home. There are more than 1.8 million households waiting for a social home – an increase of 81% since 1997. Two thirds of households on the waiting list have been waiting for more than a year. Nearly 41,000 households with dependent children were living in temporary accommodation at the end of December 2012. (Information from Shelter - England) A secure, affordable home is essential to all aspects of well being - economic, social, health (both physical and psychological) and especially for those who are vulnerable because of age, disabilities or other challenges. A wealthy country like the UK can benefit from building social and affordable homes and move away from focusing on home ownership for the few and profit for private landlords.

If lifetime occupancy is not granted and Beryl's home as it has been for the past 20 years is removed or destroyed, Beryl will be forced to find alternative accommodation. At the age of 71 it is unacceptable for any Council to put a tax paying pensioner through such stress and suffering.

An estate agent in Bristol called CJ Hole has been sending out letters to its landlord clients asking "Are you getting enough rent?" and "How do you get more rent?" The letter they are sending to landlords explains that "with rents increasing every week in Bristol, it is highly likely your property is due a rent increase.” It goes on to say that “the demand from tenants is far exceeding the number of available properties and we have never seen such a buoyant rental market." It doesn't once mention the rights of tenants. The letter shows how some estate agents and landlords are seeking to cynically profit from the housing crisis in Bristol at a time when inflation has declined to 0.3% and deflation is predicted. I think there is no justification for increasing rents at a time when prices are actually going down. In addition, real average earnings have fallen by 8% since 2008. Such predatory rental practices are an attack on low income people and threaten the most basic of rights – the security of a home to live in. Bristol's housing supply has been described by an official report as "in crisis." In 2013 just 60 affordable homes were built across Bristol Please sign this petition if you want CJ Hole to stop sending these letters to its landlord clients and if you want your next MP to support rent controls, giving more rights to tenants and building more affordable homes. If you have experienced a rent rise you believe is unjustified please post the details below. I.e. how much was it, was it in response to improvements made by the landlord, and any other points you think are relevant. If you have seen similar letters from other estate agents, please contact me. We will compile a list of all responses and use these as the basis for a later action/petition. Read the full letter below: https://s.bsd.net/38degrees/main/page/-/11096902_10153147467450900_147746140_n.jpg

Everyone needs a decent secure affordable home in which to flourish. We therefore call on Brighton and Hove Parliamentary candidates to campaign for the following changes, and to vote for them if elected: • Bring back fair rents - a “Living rent” (achieved by rent controls) • Protect private tenants with long secure tenancies • Institute registration of all private landlords to ensure minimum standards of fire safety, energy efficiency and a decent home standard for private housing • Abolish the Right to buy and lift borrowing ceilings and restrictions so councils can again build social rented housing • Link rents policy to affordability not the market • End discrimination against tenants on benefits

This must affect a large number of tenants in the UK and they have no way of resolving their issues, other than using very expensive commercial Lawyers

Paying extortionate rent in a time of a cost of living crisis is totally unacceptable.

Our conservation area policies are over 20 years old, from when house prices were one sixth of today’s level and climate less revelant. Islington now has a clear problem with families leaving the Borough, with the Local Plan evidencing high resident turnover and the number of primary school pupils in decline. Mansards have a clear role in creating space for families or additional flats, whilst also serving as a tool to improve energy efficiency (improved insulation, solar). These needs have been recognised for 50% of the Borough which sits outside conservation and they should be recognised for the rest. This petition is only open to those living, working or studying in the Borough.

If you are privately renting and on benefits you will be able to claim Local Housing Allowance (LHA), the problem is that unless you are very lucky it won't cover your rent. Sometimes this is because where you live has been banded with another area where housing is cheaper. The fact that your area, even it is in another town, has higher rental prices won't affect how much you get. The immediate effect is that you will be paying the difference between your allowance and rent out of your other benefits. This means that even if you are disabled and have certain requirements like being on the ground floor, need wheelchair access or need friends or relatives to visit you every day, you are massively disadvantaged by this system. Just imagine if your relative needed your help everyday but couldn't get it because they couldn't afford to live locally or you couldn't find a home that meant you could live independently? If you lived in my town you would receive over £230 less than another town which is just under 4 miles away and is in fact in the same band as another town which is just over 9 miles away. This doesn't make sense does it? This is called the Broad Rental Market Area and it doesn't reflect actual housing costs. Where I live it costs more to rent than in either of these areas! I am asking that you join my campaign to have the local housing allowance banding overhauled and made to reflect local housing costs. This will help people who are already vulnerable, living on benefits and having to pay more for their rent than the current system acknowledges. I am also asking that the LHA does take into account disability needs - currently it does not. Please don't say: It will only go to property investors. Do say: Ask the goverment to make it work fairly.

This issue affects everyone. Everyone that is renting a home but doesn't want to. Everyone who is struggling daily, weekly and monthly to get by. Everyone with 2/3/4 jobs just to make ends meet. The people in power don't see this issue because they are not living paycheck to paycheck. They don't understand the stress of paying rent every month for years on end and having nothing to show for it at the end of the day. Or the stress of never feeling secure in your home incase your landlord sells from under you. It's looking after the rich and exploiting the poor, and nowadays, everyone is poor.

This petition is of great importance, as it will look deeply into certain problems which have derived from affordability issues within housing policy and gentrification surrounding the housing market. The petition focuses upon the issues gentrification brings to lower income communities and aims to form a new way of going about affordable housing policy. The revision of the 106 agreement as well as gentrification activism are at the heart of this petition in attempts to fight of issues with national policy and greedy developers!