Residents' victory in rent-hike battle

PLACEFIRST FORCED INTO RETHINK OVER WELSH STREETS HOMES

- By DAVID HUMPHREYS

HUNDREDS of residents in some of Liverpool's most famous streets are celebrating after plans to hike up their rent by up to £300 were scrapped.

Since March, residents in 290 households in the Welsh Streets have been campaigning to fight a 30% rent increase.

This would have led to potential increases of £300 a month.

Now, alongside union ACORN, residents have secured a deal with landlords Placefirst that has kept the rent rise to less than £60 on average.

An initial offer of a 10% cap was angrily rejected by residents in May, and following further rounds of talks, an offer of 6% along with promises of a similar cap for next year was accepted in principle earlier this month.

Placefirst said it had “listened carefully” to Welsh Streets residents and no household would experience an increase of more than £80 per month.

Kim Johnson, Labour MP for Liverpool Riverside, said the outcome of the campaign proves that “when communities are united, they cannot be ignored.”

Alongside the rent cap, Placefirst have agreed to address failings around disrepair, communication and treatment of tenants, and have agreed to formally recognise a new Residents Association.