Cheltenham's Rent Crisis: Our Council Could Act, But Chooses To Turn A Blind Eye.
Cheltenham faces a dire housing emergency. Surveys conducted by Cheltenham Tenant Union reveal private rents are consuming 40% or more of tenant incomes. Yet, while other councils across Britain actively use their powers to support and protect private renters, Cheltenham Borough Council does the absolute legal minimum. This inaction isn't due to lack of capacity; it is a choice.
This crisis is fuelled by a letting market where profit is prioritised over people. Many agents can steer even well-intentioned landlords into practices that maximise rent and tenancy fees that tenants have no choice but to pay.
But solutions exist, using resources Cheltenham already possesses. The council has existing structures and housing expertise within Cheltenham Borough Homes (CBH). Deploying these for the benefit of private renters isn't just effective; it's cost-effective, leveraging what's already in place rather than building from scratch.
A prime example of what the council could establish, if it chose to prioritise private tenants, is an Ethical Letting Agency run by CBH. Such an agency would provide professional management but prioritise tenant well-being and fair landlord returns. It offers a vital alternative for small landlords who aren’t simply profiteers. Explicitly rejecting endless rent hikes, it would set levels based on true local affordability and standards, not speculation, and importantly, seek to reduce rents where necessary, aiming to reverse years of crippling increases.
It’s not just tenants who will benefit. Reversing recent rent rises means money back in tenants pockets. Money available to spend with local businesses. A sustainable route to reversing the decline of the high street. Local business doesn’t need council hands outs or tax cuts, it needs customers with money to spend.
By choosing not to leverage CBH's expertise for the 35% of Cheltenham households who rent, the council allows the crisis to worsen and misses a golden opportunity to boost the local real economy for the many, not the few.
