Last night I heard several terrible accounts by students whose visit to Brighton & Hove to study, many living away from home for the first time, has exposed them to conditions that I had hoped were long ago confined to history. It is easy to understand how one or two unsuitable or incompetent people, with poor quality properties could be tempted to rent out their properties in a very vibrant rental market. Chancing their arm in the hope that they can make some money from those too desperate to say no. However what I heard last night made it clear that not only is this practice far more widespread than I could have imagined, but that some disreputable letting agents are complicit in this trade in shoddy property. ‘Home Sweet Home’ is a campaign that has been established by students from both of our Universities and City College, but it has the potential, with support from all of our Political Parties and groups such as the Brighton & Hove Economic Partnership to ensure that all rental property in the City are fit for purpose. That objective would benefit all people attempting to rent properties in the City and ensure a positive experience to those who lack the confidence and support that these students have benefited from.

The stories we heard included an external door that does not lock, but is held in place with a brick, dirty and damp rooms, household appliances that do not work and have clearly not worked for some time, and the unreasonable retention of deposits by letting agents when it is clear that the tenants leaving have not contributed to the poor conditions.

I was part of a small group of people who had been approached for our support early on in the development of this campaign, and I am proud to have been invited to attend the launch which took place in a building which was the first place I visited on arriving in Brighton 36 years ago. When I arrived in Brighton to begin my studies at what was then Brighton Polytechnic, expectations were a great deal lower of what to expect in terms of rental properties, but I don’t recall letting agents being part of the mix. These businesses work on behalf of the landlord, but they have a duty of care to ensure that properties are let in a good condition and they are fully responsible for what they tell prospective tenants. It is clear that there are some letting agents who need to change their work practices, and in some cases refuse to act on behalf of certain landlords.

Home Sweet Home arose with the help of a small group of students who began to meet under the auspices of Movement for Change which is an initiative by the Labour Party to make itself accessible to grassroots movements of people, who want to improve their communities. The person supporting this group, Jack Madden is to be commended for his non partisan approach in this issue, whenever we meet it is clear that he understands that this is not about the Labour Party, but rather about helping young people to understand how they can bring about change in their community. Inevitably several of the supporters of this campaign are members of the Labour Party just as Jack is, but many like myself are not members of any Political Party. They have recently gained the support of Bill Randall for their approach. It would be fantastic if the Greens, Conservative and Lib Dems could throw their weight behind this campaign showing how they too are committed to cleaning up the private rental market which the city depends on for its economic and social well being.