The recent groundbreaking at 320 Swindon Road in St Paul’s, Cheltenham—a £6.2m project delivering 24 homes (17 apartments and 7 houses) via social rent and shared ownership—sounds like a win for affordability on paper. Council Leader Rowena Hay hailed it as a "great example of
The concerns of social tenants in Cheltenham are growing due to Cheltenham Borough Council’s responses to a public question about the number of empty council homes and the associated financial impacts, which appear to leave out key details and leave renters seeking further clarity. The question, submitted by former
Why We Exist The Cheltenham Tenants Union does not blame individuals. We focus on the system that has evolved to reward landlords and asset-owners while leaving tenants overstretched. Our role is to help tenants use their collective power to change that balance. What’s Driving the Problem Locally The University
In Cheltenham, soaring rental prices are creating a hidden health crisis: damp and mould in private rental properties. When tenants spend 30-50% of their income on rent, they face impossible choices between paying bills and maintaining adequate heating and ventilation. This creates the perfect conditions for damp and mould growth,
Murphy's analysis traces rent poverty directly to the dismantling of 1970s tenant protections, showing how deregulation transformed homes from stable shelters into speculative investments. Watch the video on youtube here. The Historical Context The Rent Act 1977 once provided crucial balance between tenants and landlords through security of
Rents Are Sucking the Lifeblood Out of the UK Rents are sucking the lifeblood out of the lives of many people in the UK. Rental property is largely occupied by young people and people on low income in the UK. And of course, in very many cases, those two groups
Cheltenham Borough Council (CBC) has balanced its books on the backs of social tenants, forcing the borough’s poorest residents to pay for financial mistakes through potential rent increases or reduced housing maintenance. To offset deficits from a £4.7 million Minster Square overspend and a £200 million debt from
What Cheltenham Borough Council Can Do — Right Now (Despite what Cllr. Tooke says) 1. Tackle Airbnb & Short-Term Lets First * Licence all short-term holiday lets. * Apply higher council tax to properties converted from residential use. * Push properties back into the long-term rental market to ease rent pressure. 2. Take an
The power of the Cheltenham Tenant Union is not a mystery; it is a direct result of our collective numbers. We operate on the simple principle that while one tenant can be ignored, thousands cannot. Our strategy is built on three clear levels of engagement, each one strengthening our ability
It’s a familiar scene in many British homes: black spots creeping up the walls, a musty smell lingering in the air, and the inevitable finger-pointing between tenants and landlords over who’s to blame for mold and damp. The question is often framed as a simple one: is this
A humorous AI take on Council Meeting in the style of parliamentary sketch writer Picture the scene in Cheltenham’s council chamber: a room humming with the earnest buzz of local democracy, where councillors gather to wrestle with the great issues of the day—chief among them, the private rental
A Major Step Forward In a recent Cheltenham Borough Council meeting, the Cheltenham Tenants Union achieved a significant milestone by bringing the critical issue of the private rental sector to the forefront of the council's agenda. Thanks to the passionate advocacy of Councillor Foster, the council has acknowledged