Rent repayment orders expanded to protect benefit tenants
4 months ago | 16 comments
New tenants’ housing union set to challenge landlords and government
9:38 AM, 31st December 2025, 4 months ago
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Campaigners are preparing to launch a national housing union next year, saying it will give social and private renters, and leaseholders, the strength to challenge poor conditions and rising rents.
Suzanne Muna, the secretary of the Social Housing Action Campaign (SHAC) said the aim is to create something that will ‘reshape the landscape’.
She believes tenants are being left to fend for themselves in unsafe and insecure accommodation while those with power look away.
Affordable rents an issue
Writing in the Big Issue, Ms Muna argues that government ministers ‘frame the crisis as one of supply alone, when it is in fact a crisis of affordability’.
She says many households are stuck in ‘insecure, unsuitable, dilapidated, overcrowded, accommodation’.
Campaigners accuse the government of being too close to large private developers and corporate social landlords.
She writes: “The developer’s goal is to maximise surpluses and profits, and their power is supreme.”
Ms Muna went on to warn that social housing providers are reportedly turning down poor applicants because they can’t afford the rent.
Tenants have no power
There’s also an issue with social landlords having permission to raise rents by CPI plus 1% for the next decade which will bring social rents closer to private market rents.
Ending Section 21 ‘no-fault’ evictions through the Renters’ Rights Act is ‘a very small step’, and leasehold reform ‘has faltered in the face of freeholder resistance’, she says.
She also fears that Awaab’s Law has failed to deliver the promised improvements and the law should cover private renters.
Decades of policy and funding choices have pushed the system backwards and Ms Muna adds: “Power has seeped away from tenants and residents because we have lacked a coordinated tenant and resident movement.”
Backed by unions
The housing union will offer support like a trade union, providing casework and neighbourhood organising, alongside national campaigning.
It intends to unite people, whether they rent from councils, housing associations or private landlords.
Rather than rely on landlords or politicians, SHAC plans to seek backing from the wider union movement.
The group says workplace unions have the resources and networks needed to build a national force for housing justice.
Tags:
Housing crisis UK, housing union, leaseholders, rent rises, SHAC campaign, social housing, Tenant rights, UK renters
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Member Since January 2023 - Comments: 36
2:47 PM, 2nd January 2026, About 4 months ago
Reply to the comment left by Noel Greene at 02/01/2026 – 13:21
Surely the word ‘license’, means you are paying for something that you can use, or are getting a service in return, ie. Drivers license, TV license, Taxi driver’s license, Fishing license. What are the authorities providing to the landlord for this fee. They should, at least, be made to work for it!
Member Since December 2025 - Comments: 49
4:46 PM, 4th January 2026, About 4 months ago
“She also fears that Awaab’s Law has failed to deliver the promised improvements and the law should cover private renters.”
Erm this author obviously hasn’t noticed that Awaab’s law has been added to cover private renters via the RRA…
See eg https://www.nrla.org.uk/news/how-to-prepare-for-awaabs-law-as-a-private-landlord
Not saying that the Big Issue has an agenda, obviously
Member Since March 2018 - Comments: 184
10:07 PM, 4th January 2026, About 4 months ago
Reply to the comment left by David Matz at 04/01/2026 – 16:46
Is Awabs Law flawed by requiring the landlord to remedy damp problems within 7 days, when the cause could be completely outside the landlord’s control, eg a leak from an upstairs flat, a leak from a shared roof, and repeated refusal by tenants to….ventilate the property, stop drying washing on radiators, power on the installed ventilation system?
Member Since December 2025 - Comments: 49
10:53 PM, 4th January 2026, About 4 months ago
Peter G
Well firstly it’s not 7 days and if somewhere is unsafe to live in (which is what the law is about) wouldn’t you think the landlord has to do whatever they reasonably can quickly?
Awaab’s law specifically covers damp and mould that poses a “significant” or “emergency” risk of harm to the health or safety of a tenant
Read eg Awaab’s Law: Guidance for tenants in social housing – GOV.UK https://share.google/rrMNpVQXGC9CxKnEM
which sets out what is required by when – (extract below
“Summary of Awaab’s Law:
emergency repairs must be done within 24 hours
significant damp and mould hazards must be investigated within 10 working days and made safe within 5 working days
if your home can’t be made safe in time, your landlord must offer you somewhere else suitable to stay until it is. More information on suitable alternative accommodation can be found in Section 9
your landlord needs to tell you what is happening once you have reported an issue and if action they take is covered by Awaab’s Law. They must give you a written summary within 3 working days of an investigation finishing”
– none of this says remedy within 7 days. Just take a serious hazard seriously and act promptly to investigate and make safe or provide alternative accommodation.
– you can get landlord insurance to cover possibility of having to provide alternative accommodation exactly as now.
As for having to deal with things you can’t control – if you get a damp survey it says the problem is lifestyle condensation you get the mould cleaned/removed and provide tenants with a copy of that expert opinion and clear instructions on how to avoid in future- you have then done what is reasonable and you can document it for legal purposes and to evict tenants who still refuse to ventilate and take care of your property and so cause damage as a result
If a leak above is causing so much damp that your property is unsafe to live in you’d be getting owner above to sort it quickly similarly if a gutter causing so much damage you would get an emergency roofer.
Good landlords would be taking significant damp and mould issues seriously already as we are already legally obliged to provide accommodation which is habitable. Awaabs law just makes that requirement more specific in relation to timescales to investigate and address and about communication to tenants
Member Since May 2017 - Comments: 771
7:44 AM, 5th January 2026, About 4 months ago
Reply to the comment left by DavidM at 04/01/2026 – 22:53
If, say, your tenant is on benefits, has 3 kids, a cat and a dog and you can’t find alternative accommodation, can you give up and give notice to sell?
Member Since March 2023 - Comments: 1507
8:34 AM, 5th January 2026, About 4 months ago
Reply to the comment left by JB at 05/01/2026 – 07:44
Yes, you can sell at any time by giving 4 months notice.but ONLY after the tenant has lived there for 12 months .. so it would seem you are buggered all ways.
Member Since May 2017 - Comments: 771
8:58 AM, 5th January 2026, About 4 months ago
Reply to the comment left by GlanACC at 05/01/2026 – 08:34
You can give notice you’re going to sell, even after the tenant has complained to the council?
Member Since December 2025 - Comments: 49
9:44 AM, 5th January 2026, About 4 months ago
JB
Def Not saying easy but these are existing responsibilities to provide habitable accommodation
– awaabs law just provides timescales
– and landlord insurance is available to cover such eventualities
– fortunately things like gas leaks where you/the insurance co agree alternative accommodation is needed due to significant risk of harm are relatively rare
-re mould/damp, emphasises need to educate tenants on how to avoid, and inspect regularly to avoid getting to such a bad state