Know Your (Tenancy) Rights!

You probably don’t need me to tell you that moving into a new flat as a student is a royal pain in the arse. Hauling heavy furniture up endless staircases and dealing with nightmare neighbours (or flatmates) is already a lot. Add the pressure of that first deadline creeping up on you and the terror of the mould developing across your bedroom ceiling: you couldn’t be blamed if you threw in the towel and stuck your head in the sand before your life as a student had even begun. Elise Corry from the Edinburgh branch of Scotland’s tenants union Living Rent, however, challenges you to not give up so easily. One of two students on the union’s national committee, she knows this struggle through and through – and she has solutions. We chat to her about the important work she does with Living Rent to protect tenants from exploitation and landlord greed. 

Can you tell us a bit about what you do for Living Rent in Edinburgh?

I am a member of Living Rent which is Scotland’s tenants union. We are a democratically elected, member-led union and we campaign on various issues both nationally and locally. For an example of what we do locally, in Edinburgh we campaigned for [Edinburgh's] tourist tax [to go towards] council homes and we won that! Nationally, we are campaigning for a points-based system for rent controls which brings rent down, makes it more affordable and creates better quality housing for people in Scotland.

I know that sounds a bit jargony, but basically rent controls were in place in Scotland throughout most of the twentieth century. They got revoked in the 80s when Thatcher was in power… obviously… and it makes a lot of sense to be bringing them back now despite what lies are spread by landlords and people in the housing sector so that they can continue exploiting their tenants.

I am also on the national committee; I was elected back in March by the entire union. I believe I’m one of two students on the national committee, and I’m really proud of that. I think students and other tenants in the wider community can often be pitted against each other, you see things online where people say ‘students are driving rent up!’, which is just not true. It’s landlords who have the monopoly in the housing market and students are just used as a scapegoat – partially because that’s how it’s spun in the media as well. 

What made you want to get involved?

I learned about Living Rent around three years ago, and then I moved away. When I came back, I just knew it was something I wanted to get involved in because housing is a human right. Seeing rents progressively get more expensive in Scotland since I had moved, and how that has affected the mental and physical health of people, made me want to do something. Tenants are disproportionately affected by mental health issues and physical health issues – particularly things like asthma getting worse because of neglect from landlords who rent out damp and mouldy properties. This is something I really want to see change in Scotland.

Why is it important for students to be on top of things when it comes to landlords etc?

Students have really stressful lives. They’re working part-time or full-time jobs alongside their studies. It can get to be a lot, and so it makes sense for them to see that they’ve got mould in their flat and be like "oh well, there’s nothing I can really do about it." But it’s really important that students aren’t left out of the conversation as they often are.

We’re seeing PBSA (Purpose Built Student Accommodation) popping up around the country that is poor quality and built on land that is simply not deemed fit for human inhabitation. There was an example in Gorgie, at Tynecastle High, where they were going to build flats but it was not deemed safe so they were like "let's just fling up some PBSA instead." This is something that the government has just allowed to happen, as well as allowing these providers to put rent up as much as they like. Things like this really show how the housing sector works against students, and that should really be a radicalising point for students to get involved in housing justice. 

How can students in Scotland get involved with living rent if they’re having housing issues?

We have member defence cases where tenants come together to solve their housing issues. We had two students come to us recently about their roof collapsing and their windows not providing any insulation. They won their case and got compensation because they fought back, which just goes to show how important it is to assert your rights. 

Basically, join Living Rent. It is in the interest of tenants to join this union. We have been winning for almost 10 years now, and we will continue to win until the housing sector is balanced in the favour of tenants. By getting involved in Living Rent, you’re also exposed to a whole range of housing issues which you can align with your own housing situation to help understand it better. It can often feel quite isolating when you have housing issues, and that’s how landlords want you to feel! But you might come along to a member defence meeting with Living Rent and find someone who is having the exact same issue as you and work on your issues together.