our tenancy agreement states that should part of the premises become unavailable to us, our rent should be reduced accordingly. Our landlord says despite our gym, social spaces & postal service being locked down ATM - our rent should stay the same - A THREAD #RentFreeze2020

ok so there’s a LOT to this story so I did some of it on notes - oh and also a screencap from one of the emails we received re: onsite security! (or lack thereof) #CoronavirusUK #Covid19 #Rent

The clause in question! What we saying then lads? @AllsopLLP @TheTrilogyMCR @MoorfieldGroup

THE PREMISES - the right to shared access & other similiar facilities

If this doesn’t apply now, when?! Or are you saying the contract ultimately means nothing?

Sidebar - @TheGymGroup have frozen my membership at the moment. Why? Cause I can’t go in there. Good business practice I’d say.

So then we decide the landlord themselves might be more understanding if we approach them directly? Maybe if we just speak to them? @AllsopLLP didn’t answer - we tried multiple numbers. I’ll also throw in here that I’m trying to work from home whilst doing this.

This culminates in the email we received on Wednesday where it states that our concerns would be addressed (reader, they weren’t addressed!) before being chased by the building for rent - despite no conclusion being reached (see next tweet)

we then received this on Friday at 5:50pm (?!) after waiting for a response all week. A classic Fri-yay running out the door email job #OutOfOfficeIsOn #LiveLaughLove #UnlessYoureARenter #GoIntoCripplingDebtIGuess #JustRentyThings

If people are struggling now - what’s pushing the debt along until next time going to do? #Coronavirus isn’t going away next month or the month after - people might have managed to pull April rent together - but May is going to be even more difficult for many.

Delegating their remaining rent to them across the rest of their tenancy is a faux kind gesture to ensure everyone still pays in full (again, and I’ll keep mentioning it - FOR A BUILDING WITH FACILITIES THAT WE’RE PAYING FOR AND CANNOT USE)

Offering no actual respite during an economic disaster and global pandemic? #RentStrike2020 #RentFreezeNow

And still advertising flats & flat viewings as normal! Why haven’t they taken the aforementioned facilities off the listing if they’re not available? Because they’re the USP for the building, that’s why! Who’s gonna pay super high rent for just a room?! Me apparently

I want to add that taking this situation publicly to social media really was the last resort. I created a private FB group for the building & put it on our buildings bulletin board. #RentersUnion

But to my surprise, my post remains “pending” approval from the building whilst posts from other residents that were created after mine have gone up. Weird that all of a sudden I start having issues having posts approved when I’m querying rent, isn’t it?

If you had nothing to hide and knew you were in the right, you wouldn’t need to cut us off at the pass surely? If that agreement is water tight and everything’s above board then why’re you sweating it? (see below - my post still waiting 24 hours later)

We’ve tried to make contact via multiple channels and given MORE than enough reasonable chance to reach a resolution privately. But life’s all about choices isn’t it & they wanted us to choose to relent and pay up in full. I chose to post this on Twitter. Funny old world.

Anyway, that’s enough of me thinking I’m Erin Brockovich! I’m gonna let someone else speak - @tenantsunionuk @gmlawcentre @AndyBurnhamGM @MayorOfGM @ManCityCouncil @Sacha_Lord @LDNRentersUnion @Living_Rent @DeansgateLabour @LucyMPowell @RLong_Bailey @CarlAustinBehan @MartinSLewis

Some other people I think might find my thread interesting - especially those based in #Manchester
@ACORNManchester @ACORN_tweets @UKNeighbours @GenRentUK @GMHousingAction @TraffordCouncil @BBCNorthPR @SalfordGazette @TFitzgeraldMEN @BBCWatchdog
@Channel4 @GranadaReports

Can’t forget these! @ccoxmenmedia @JonMacLancsLive @DarrenThwaites @RobertJenrick @MENnewsdesk @JenWilliamsMEN @DianneBourne @dobsonMEN @SteveRobson04 @ITVNEWS @BBCNWT @MetroUK @HitsMCRNews @ilovemcr @OwenJones84 @AttitudeMag @BBCBreakfast

There’s more! @bbc5live @bbcsml @BBCRadioManc @BBCRadio2 @XSManchester @BethAbbitMEN @MCRGazette @pbainbridgeMEN @chargreenmcr @PinkNews @sarahlester @Channel4News @TheStephShowC4 @jonsnowC4 @fatimamanji @HuffPostUK @clarefallon @helenpidd @AyoCaesar @NealkeelingMEN @BuzzFeedUK

Great article from @SteveRobson04 regarding a similar situation also in Manchester! @MENnewsdesk https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/what-happens-city-centre-tenants-18015514?fbclid=IwAR0gLa8tQx4-C3JnW7W76Ybme_RxygL2xxKCdlAYyh7lcgRBTxpd2q1tcmE

Relevant! @MetroUK https://www.google.com/amp/s/metro.co.uk/2020/03/27/coronavirus-rent-free-12465503/amp/

And shout out to all the Uni accommodation providers that are doing the right thing and offering understanding at the moment courtesy of @TheTab @thetabmanc https://www.google.com/amp/s/thetab.com/uk/2020/03/25/private-halls-companies-take-120m-hit-to-let-students-out-of-contracts-early-149328/amp

If you’ve been affected or know someone who’s housing situation has been impacted at the moment - please share and let them know about this thread!

a couple of really useful that have helped us out - @tenantsunionuk @gmlawcentre have both been amazing!

Anyway, if you’ve made it this far, thank you! Love and light x

@AllsopLLP, @TheTrilogyMCR & @Moorefield balls in your court, I guess?