In the United Kingdom, organizers are working to resist evictions and protect tenants rights.
ACORN UK has collaborated with the following organizations on various campaigns, including #RentersVote2017 & 2019, End Section 21 No Fault Evictions, and the campaign for no COVID-19 evictions. They also run a Tenant Support group on facebook and a Renters Vote campaign.
- Generation Rent
- Living Rent
- London Renters Union
- New Economics Foundation
RECENT ACTIONS AND VICTORIES:
Students win battle with North Oxford Property Services
Tenants in Oxford celebrated a hard-won battle against a local estate agent after a row over a bedroom.
The five Oxford University students sharing a house in Cowley were in dispute with North Oxford Property Services (NOPS), which they rented a nearly £3,000-a-month house from in September.
The students sought the help of tenants’ union Acorn Oxford and, after weeks of negotiations, the estate agents has now agreed to pay Ms Lanceley a £200 compensation.
In a victorious statement on its website the union wrote: “These housemates received a confusing and worrying order from their property management company, to vacate and padlock Aleisha’s bedroom and refused to explain why.
“Luckily they are all ACORN members, and the union put the pressure on NOPS and got the situation resolved in our member’s favour.”
Renters Manifesto
Renters organisations from across England have come together to write a manifesto – calling on all parties to committ to radical change to fix the housing crisis.
This National Renter Manifesto sets out the steps needed to ensure that everybody has a secure, affordable and decent home.
The manifesto covers six key themes: Security, Affordability, Justice, Conditions, Discrimination, and Housing for People Not Profit.
Activists Stage Demo Outside Home of ‘Rogue’ Landlord
Coverage of our action in London on Saturday, when ACORN members visited a rogue landlord who has tried to evict ACORN Bristol members Phoebe and Fi in retaliation for asking for essential repairs.
Phoebe said, “All we want is for Shabana to meet with us and see that we are human beings whose mental and physical health have taken a toll due to her treatment, compensation for the time I couldn’t sleep in my own bed, and to not be evicted in the middle of a pandemic.”
No COVID Evictions! Day of Action
On Saturday 22nd August, hundreds of ACORN members took action in 17 towns & cities across England & Wales saying no to rent debt, eviction & homelessness during the pandemic.Members held socially distanced actions outside of courts where eviction proceedings will be heard, visited the offices of landlords and letting agents to deliver ‘notices of eviction resistance’ to let them know that we won’t stand for immoral COVID evictions, and held outdoor Community Protection Training sessions!
ACORN demands that the 1 month eviction ban extension announced last week is followed by serious legislation to protect renters from homelessness and rent debt in the fall out of COVID-19. We need rent debt accrued as a result of COVID wiped and an immediate end to Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions.Over the last couple of months hundreds of people have attended Community Protection Training sessions meaning whenever evictions restart, ACORN members will be ready to resist them.
