Councillor evicted by landlord after calling for renting reforms
Sarah Classick, who is a Bristol politician, was served with an eviction notice three months after warning that tenants needed more security.
A councillor has been evicted from her privately rented home just three months after calling for more protections for tenants.
Sarah Classick (main picture), who is a serving local councillor in Bristol, revealed that her home for over six years was sold soon after she spoke out against the issue of landlords selling up, Bristol Live reports.
Evicted
Classick, who is a Liberal Democrat member, revealed the eviction in a council debate on rent controls within the city.
“I’m a bit nervous about saying this because a couple of years ago I made a speech and I talked about the instability in private renting, and how a number of my colleagues had faced their homes being sold.
About three months later I got the dreaded letter through the door.”
“About three months later I got the dreaded letter through the door, saying my home for six and a half years was being sold,” she said.
Rent controls
Councillors renewed calls for rent controls in Bristol, during a full council meeting last week.
The council does not have the legal power to introduce rent limits, but the city’s leaders are lobbying the government to change the law.
Ban overturned
Councillors who are landlords and tenants were allowed to vote after a ban was overturned.
Last year, around 16 councillors were stopped from voting on and debating proposed rent controls because council lawyers said there was a conflict of interest.
In the debate Labour and Green councillors backed a move to bring in rent controls in Bristol, and it was agreed, despite opposition from Conservatives.
This time, councillors were asked to indicate if they were a renter or landlord.
A commission set up by the council made recommendations, including restrictions on rent rises.
Foot – Shoot !
So capping rents will reduce the number of landlords exiting the market, that sounds like a plan to address a rental shortage.
I am sorry Sarah Classick you were evicted from your home by your landlord what did he do throw you out on the street with all your belongings, or did you wait until the court ordered bailiffs to go in and see you off the property then the locksmith moved in and changed the locks. Or was it the case that the landlord served you a s21 notice that Requires Possession? We know why he served notice requiring possession – to sell his property. So why gas light him and link his legitimate reason to require possession to you being ‘evicted’ because you dared to speak up against ‘the issue’ of landlords selling up. What is the issue with a landlord wanting to sell his property even if it is linked to the specter of rent control by the Bristol Council , that would be a reasonable reason to want to sell caused by the issue of rent capping.
This is either Bristol Council introducing communism through the back door or poor and emotive reporting by the Negotiator misrepresenting the facts??
Hello? Wake up, Government! All the changes that you’ve made so far to the PRS and all the changes that you’re proposing with the Renters Reform Bill are vilifying landlords and agents. I understand what you’re trying to achieve – a fairer, robust and transparent PRS, but you’ve gone about it the wrong way. Landlords have been running for the hills for the past two years and selling up and do you honestly blame them?! As Mick Roberts says, soon there won’t a PRS!
This is the problem. Is the Landlord not ever allowed to sell their house? So it’s no longer the Landlords property? This is why there will be no houses left soon.