Exeter private tenants are being urged to help to set up and run a new advice and rights network In a week that saw over 40 people – including children – evicted from private flats in Bartholomew Street, Exeter CVS project worker Vicky Worthington said the case brings into stark relief just how vulnerable people renting privately are. She said: "While cases of this scale are relatively rare, the fact is that when a landlord defaults on a buy-to-let mortgage, and the home is repossessed, it is the tenant that suffers – and repossessions of this sort are becoming more common. "We also know that private tenants face a range of additional pressures. The average tenancy duration is just one year, which has an impact on a family's ability to feel settled, or to get involved in their community. " Privately rented properties also tend to be more poorly insulated, and are more likely to be below the standards of Council or Housing Association properties." "We are seeing more organisations like ExeTRA (Exeter Tenants' Rights Association) being set up by tenants around the country." ExeTRA is in the early stages of becoming a charity in its own right, and is looking for more private tenants who want to be actively involved in helping to develop and run the organisation. ExetRA is currently hosted by Exeter Council for Voluntary Services (CVS) – a local organisation that supports charities and community action. Simon Bowkett, Chief Executive of Exeter CVS, who is also a city councillor, said: "The lesson from Bartholomew Street is that tenants need greater protection – and until the laws that govern the private rented market are changed, people who rent their homes can stand stronger together to influence local landlords, letting agencies, and councils." If you are a private tenant, and would like to find out more about ExeTRA – or to get involved – see https://www.exetercvs.org.uk/socialaction/exetra, or contact Vicky Worthington at Vicky.worthington@exetercvs.org.uk
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