Whats It Like Living In Brighton and Hove

To all my Brighton friends. 

If you want to tell Brighton and Hove City Council about any good or bad experiences you've had renting property in the city, and what you'd like to see change, you've got until 7th Feb to do it.

For me it has been two sides of the coin. 

I had landlords that have ignored any complaints of damp, or of ineffective heating in the bitterest of winters ("the radiators worked fine when I lived at the property"), who have done nothing to arrest leaks and faulty electrics, who have hired cowboy workers, who have been un-contactable and absent from the country for months at a time... and who have had that audacity to raise rents despite such negligence!

Then, on the flip-side, my current landlord is an absolute gem, who will quickly investigate any problem with the property, and often provides improvements to the flat because a certain corner 'could do with a lick of paint' and appliances 'are a bit old'.

So, being an arsehole isnt necessarily a prerequisite of being a landlord, it just too often seems to be the case. And too often I've felt powerless as a tenant to seek any change.

I think what would be really useful is more support for tenants to be able to take measures when conditions aren't improved and complaints aren't fixed. We need to know who we can contact and how we can contact them. And what our rights are and what we can reasonably expect as tenants, and what is expected of us.
 
So, Dont be a Donut, take 15 minutes and let 'em know your thoughts so things can begin to get better:


http://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/…/whats-it-living-private-r…

alternatively, email this person: karen.amsden@brighton-hove.gov.uk


To end on a positive, here's an example of some people doing good to try and change rental prices in the city: 

http://www.theargus.co.uk/news/11604548.Campaign_calls_for_Brighton_and_Hove_City_Council_to_control_rents/?ref=mr