The London Renters Union (LRU) has announced plans to intensify its campaign for rent controls in the capital, scheduling a series of events aimed at formulating specific policy demands for London’s rental market.
The campaign, operating under the banner ‘Cut the Rent’, will commence with a panel discussion at Hamilton House in Euston on 12 March. The event will feature representatives from LRU, Friends of the Earth, the Palestinian Youth Movement, and the National Education Union.
Campaign structure
According to the organisation, the initiative will unfold in two stages. The initial panel discussion will be accompanied by the launch of a pamphlet authored by LRU member Siobhán Dhònnchaidh, examining the case for rent controls. The event will be chaired by Pete, LRU Coordinating Group Co-Convenor and Hackney branch member.
A members-only workshop scheduled for 6 April will follow, where active LRU members will work to formalise the union’s specific rent control demands for London.
Policy objectives
The union states it has been advocating for rent controls and has secured support from unions and politicians. LRU maintains that the campaign has brought the rent control debate into mainstream political discourse.
Friends of the Earth Executive Director Asad Rehman and representatives from the National Education Union are among those scheduled to speak at the March event.
The campaign represents an attempt by tenant organisations to influence housing policy in London, where rental costs remain a significant political issue. The specific policy proposals from the April workshop have not yet been disclosed.
