News / acorn
Housing union aims to make Bristol the UK’s first ‘bid-free’ city
ACORN shows no signs of slowing down in 2023.
The housing union’s latest campaign hopes to end the practice of rental bidding wars in Bristol, with the aim of making it the UK’s first ‘bid-free’ city.
The announcement follows the success of ACORN’s campaign to bring stringent fire safety measures to Bristol’s council flats in November last year, following the tragic death of Abdul Jabar Oryakhel who fell to his death while trying to escape a fire at Twinnell House on September 25.
is needed now More than ever
Bidding wars see potential tenants put in increasingly high offers to private landlords in order to ‘win’ the property, often enabling letting agents to pit prospective tenants against one another to force up the price of rent.
Inflated rent prices in Bristol have exacerbated this phenomenon to unsustainable levels, with potential tenants sometimes being asked to cough up six months rent in advance.
ACORN claims that this practice is driving many renters deeper into poverty, fuelling the cost of living crisis and breaking apart communities.
Michael McNeil, ACORN’s Bristol secretary said renters in Bristol were being “hammered”.
“Letting agents are cashing in on the housing crisis by playing renters off against each other to force up the price of rents,” said McNeill.
“These ‘bidding wars’ are destroying our communities.”
“Bidding wars are unacceptable at the best of times. But during the cost of living crisis, this greed is pushing renters deeper into poverty and forcing many families out of the city they grew up in.”
ACORN visited letting agents on Church Road before Christmas to demand that they ‘Ban the Bids’ and bring an immediate end to bidding wars.
The housing union has already received the backing of House and Co. The renting company, based in Redfield, are the first to sign ACORN’s Ban the Bids pledge, giving their commitment that they will not engage in the practice of bidding wars.
Green councillor Heather Mack has also pledged her support for the campaign.
In a tweet, she said: “Bidding wars have increased dramatically of late, sending rent prices even higher and pricing locals out of the city.
“We’ve had enough of greedy landlords and letting agents putting profit over people.”
Bristol City Council will face a vote at a full council meeting on Tuesday, January 10 on the possibility of bringing in rent controls, and is currently lobbying the government to change the law.
Main photo: Darren Shepherd
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