Protestors gather outside Dundee letting agency
Living Rent members displayed an 'exhibition of poor living conditions for renters in Dundee'
Last updated 24th May 2022
Living Rent members today gathered outside a Dundee letting agents in protest against letting conditions in the city and to demand the cancelation of a tenants eviction.
The protest centres around Rowan Heggie who was declared eviction prom queen. Rowan says she and other tenants in her block have had to live with mould and damp in their flat alongside many outstanding repairs and other problems.
After having no repairs done and refusing a rent increase for the past year until the repairs are done, Rowan says she now faces evection in order to upgrade the flats energy performance certificate.
Protestors displayed pictures of flats with similar issues and read poems about their situation outside the Tay Letting's Dundee office.
Rowan Heggie said: “Having to fight this hard for my right just to live in a safe and healthy environment has left me completely exhausted. I feel mentally and physically wrecked, I wasn’t able to go to work or go outside. I’ve paid so much money in rent consistently every month over about 5 years (since April 2017) - where has this money gone if it’s not available to support building repairs?
"I’ve been constantly challenged, blamed, and I’m now being punished for living in a building that is clearly suffering from years of landlord and letting agent neglect. My neighbours are scared they will be next to face eviction."
Jazmine Bennett, member of Living Rent said: “It is appalling to see that Tay Lettings have not only left their tenants to live in poor quality housing and neglected to answer their legitimate requests, but are now implementing what feels like a revenge eviction following a tenant refusing to live in substandard conditions. Landlords and letting agents do not have proper accountability under our current justice system and this is just another example of how such a system hurts tenants.”
A spokesman for Tay Letting said: “The landlord provided the requisite notice to recover the property in order to begin work on a full refurbishment, and to improve its energy efficiency. The tenant has not accepted our offer of support in finding an alternative property. We reached out to the tenant again yesterday and will continue to offer support.”
