A NEWLY formed Southampton union has been set up to “give tenants a voice”.
People across the city are rallying together to fight for renters' rights.
Southampton Tenants Union want to encourage tenants to speak out about issues at their homes.
For example, mould, high rents and poor living conditions.
Furthermore, the union aims to bolster the confidence of residents who fear eviction for raising these topics with their landlords.
The group recently set up a stand at Kingsland Market in the St Mary’s area of Southampton to raise awareness of its cause.
Phil Tyler, the founder behind the initiative, said he wants to support tenants in defending themselves against unjust evictions.
The 73-year-old said: “This is about having a group of people coming together and supporting each other so that they're not alone.
“And it's very difficult to be brave and stand up to a landlord when you're on your own and they can do what they like.”
The group's vision is to make tenants more aware of their rights so they won't be evicted.
Phil added: “The main thing is that we can get enough people so that we can make a voice which is run by tenants, not anybody else.”
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The group has already had people pay interest.
Connor Hunt, 23, a history student said: “To think we've got a cost-of-living crisis, a housing crisis. Obviously, part of that is rent, and part of that is issues tenants are facing.
“I think we need organisations to fight for tenants, to organise the fight back, because obviously individual tenants are fairly powerless.
“Some might be willing to make complaints, some might not be. But being part of the union, being part of the tenant’s union means you're able to stand up for yourself more.”
Last year, scores of households in Southampton were threatened with homelessness by landlords using "no-fault" eviction powers.
A total of 43 households were at risk of getting booted out after being served after they were served an eviction notice between April and June.
The stats from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities showed that this was an increase from ten between January and March.
For more information about the group, search Southampton Tenants Union on Facebook.
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