Safer Renting

Bags packed and on the street with a mattress leaning against the wall

Our Safer Renting programme provides specialist advice, support and advocacy to help protect tenants who are victimised by criminal landlords

Safer Renting is the only service of its kind and, with the need for private tenant support services growing all the time, we are committed to strengthening rights and access to justice for people exploited by rogue landlords, making private renting safe for all.

We work build the strength and resilience of our communities by keeping residents in their homes and off the streets. Our service is accredited and independently audited by Advice Quality Standard.

Please note, Safer Renting are experts in private sector housing law but we are not a legal practice or regulated legal service. We are therefore unable to conduct litigation on behalf of clients. If we believe you need legal representation we will try to signpost you to solicitors’ practices.

Safer Renting is not a direct access or self-referral service. Our advocacy service is usually paid for by local authorities who make referrals to our service

We can help with

  • Prevent homelessness, particularly by intervening in illegal evictions.
  • Support private renters to negotiate better conditions in their homes.
  • Enable private renters to leave a criminal landlord on their own terms, with compensation whenever possible.
  • Inform government policy and best practice by analysing and communicating how criminal landlords are exploiting the London housing crisis at the expense of tenants.

We can only support renters who:

  1. Have been referred us by one of our partner local authority partners (listed above); and
  2. Are private rented sector tenants

If you would like to learn more about Safer Renting, please contact us at SaferRenting@ch1889.org

If you are a social housing tenant needing advice, please contact our Law Centre on 0207 358 7025 or lawcentre@ch1889.org

Safer Renting currently works in partnership with:

  • London Borough Havering
  • London Borough Ealing
  • LondonBorough Westminster
  • London Borough Hounslow
  • London Borough Richmond and Wandsworth
  • London Borough Waltham Forest
  • London Borough Enfield
  • London Borough Lambeth
  • East Suffolk Borough Council
  • West Suffolk Borough Council
  • Babergh Borough Council
  • Mid Suffolk Borough Council
  • Ipswich Borough Council

 

 

Online Advice Guides

The following is a list of issues commonly affecting renters who may want more information. The links take you to Shelter’s excellent online advice resources for members of the public.

General housing advice can also be found at www.citizensadvice.org.uk while a useful list of law centres in London is maintained at www.lawcentres.org.uk.

A list of housing solicitors in London with contact details can be found here

Learn more about Safer Renting’s work

For information take a look at our latest research reports below:

 

Licensing Private Rented Homes - Insights and experiences from five London Boroughs

Roz Spencer and Julie Rugg

A Cambridge House Research Publication

March 2024

Click here to read the full report

Illegal Evictions Count Campaign 2022 Update

Roz Spencer and Julie Rugg

Offences under the Protection from Eviction Act 1977 in England: 2022 update of the annual count

December 2023

Click here to read the full report

Journeys in the Shadow Private Rented Sector

Roz Spencer, Ben Reeve-Lewis, Julie Rugg and Eusebio Barata

A Cambridge House Research Publication

August 2020

Click here to read the full 2020 report ‘Journeys in the Shadow PRS

For more information

Press releases:

Cambridge House News

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