Shifting the Balance: Tenants, Power, and the Cheltenham Housing Crisis

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 – attracts large numbers of students but relies on private rentals instead of building its own accommodation. This fuels competition and pushes up rents for Cheltenham's key workers. Airbnb – takes homes out of long-term use, reducing supply and inflating prices. Cheltenham Borough Council – has the authority to act. It can regulate short-term lets, hold the University, letting agents and landlords accountable, and recognise the wider economic damage of high rents. When renters spend 40–50% of income on housing, there’s less left for Cheltenham’s shops and businesses. What We Mean by Collective Power When tenants organise, we can: Vote together – making housing a decisive political issue. Spend together – supporting businesses that stand with renters. Lobby together – emailing and pressuring key decision-makers. We are not about marches or demonstrations. The system already keeps tenants too busy for that. Instead, we focus on quiet but powerful coordination — the passive benefits of acting as one. Why It Matters This system is not inevitable. It has evolved through choices that benefit those with assets, while tenants carry the cost. But tenants are not powerless. By organising, we can shift the balance back towards fairness and dignity.