Hello from Southwark Private Renters’ Support Project!
Our July newsletter updates you on a recent Southwark Private Renters Forum, news on Southwark Council’s Homelessness Strategy, and new support services for renters provided by some of our partners.
Southwark Private Renters' Forum
The Southwark Private Renters’ Forum meets on a quarterly basis to work together to improve the circumstances of private renters in the borough.
At the most recent Forum, members were updated on the activities of the Southark Private Renters’ Support Project, including on insights developed from recent ‘Know Your Housing Rights’ workshops delivered for local refugee and asylum seeker groups. Members also discussed experiences of the Council’s self-help incentive scheme, which helps homeless applicants secure private tenancies.The Forum is working together with Soutwark Council to improve the delivery of the self-help incentive scheme, and other housing services for private renters.
We’d love to hear from you if you have a story to share about your experience (good or bad!) of engaging with Southwark Council in relation to your privately rented housing. If you are a voluntary or community sector professional working with private renters and would like to join the Forum as a member, please also get in touch.
You can reach us by emailing privaterenters@citizensadvicesouthwark.org.uk.
'Hybrid Tenancy Relations' Service
Safer Renting is a service by Cambridge House that fights to strengthen private renter rights and make renting safer for all. Their caseworkers are paralegal housing law experts who can support tenants in the private rented sector who have been exploited by criminal landlords by:
Defending tenancy rights
- Advice on security of tenure, tenancy rights and practical remedies
- Advocate on renters’ behalf to landlords and agents
- Support to defend possession proceedings
- Respond to illegal evictions by securing re-entry
- Challenge unreasonable rent increases at tribunal
- Support renters to act as ‘litigants in person’ in civil claims
- Represent renters to pursue a Rent Repayment Order in the tribunal
- Negotiate with landlords to reach an out-of-court settlement.
If you are a Southwark or Lambeth renter facing illegal eviction, harassment, serious disrepair, rent increase, or other breach of your tenancy rights, you can self-refer by contacting lambethproject@ch1889.org.
Third-sector partners based in Southwark or Lambeth can also refer private renter clients by contacting lambethproject@ch1889.org.
Southwark Council Homelessness Strategy
Southwark Council have agreed their Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy for 2025-2030. The strategy emphasises a focus on early intervention to prevent homelessness, which will include supporting tenancy relations in the private rented sector. Other developments announced in the strategy include:
- The reopening of Housing Options’ Bournemouth Road office as a Homelessness Prevention Hub, with co-located key services
- Use of the Rogue Landlord Taskforce to clamp down on housing fraud
- Holding Landlord Forums to incentivise affordable rents.
You can find out more about the new strategy here.
Kineara Housing Advice Phoneline
Kineara are operating a new advice phoneline for people facing housing difficulties. You can call their helpline on 02038756227 or email info@kineara.co.uk for support on:
- Preventing eviction
- Accessing suitable housing
- Tackling debt and financial hardship
- Improving wellbeing and stability
The phoneline is open on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, 10AM-4PM. There is also the option to leave a message and request a callback within 48 hours (Monday-Friday).
Thank you for reading our July newsletter!
Do you have question or feedback about our newsletter? Contact us by emailing privaterenters@citizensadvicesouthwark.org.uk and we will get back to you.
