Tenants have more rights than they realise, but would need a PhD in law to work them out, according to new research published by the National Consumer Council (NCC).
In a new 'consumer audit' of affordable housing, NCC calls on the Housing Corporation to do much more to safeguard and boost tenants' rights. The consumer audit is published alongside today's 'What Tenants Want' - a report from the independent Tenant Involvement Commission - established by the National Housing Federation and chaired by NCC's chief executive Ed Mayo.
NCC's consumer audit of social housing highlights the confusing mix of tenants' rights that leave millions in the dark. It calls for better and clearer information for tenants about their rights to help redress the imbalance of power between landlord and tenant.
Ed Mayo explains: "Years of piecemeal reform have led to a complex and confusing mix of contractual and statutory rights for tenants. Users of these services who want to stand up for their rights can be caught up in a protracted and bureaucratic process, so tenants in affordable housing have rights in name alone. Giving tenants a clearer picture of their rights is a positive way to improve the quality of service they can expect."
