DEMONSTRATORS have managed to force the shutdown of a property investment workshop in Edinburgh in a protest against what they called “parasitic housing practices”.
Scotland’s tenants’ union Living Rent mounted the demonstration at the Making Money from Property event on Thursday evening, one of a series being held across the country by the BBC’s Martin Roberts, of Homes Under the Hammer fame.
The taster workshop promised to teach landlords how to “maximise their profits”, “make money while they sleep”, and “live the life they deserved”, but protesters said this meant driving up rents and forcing tenants into poverty.
READ MORE: Independence supporters more likely to back curbs on private landlords
Around 50 of them gathered outside, chanting and handing out flyers to passers-by, while a number made their way inside to challenge the organisers over the consequences of this approach to housing.
Half an hour later, the organisers called off the event and attendees were ushered out.
Living Rent said events like this underlined the need for the Scottish Government to introduce rent controls, which they said were necessary to stop tenants being forced into poverty by “sky-high rents”.
Eve Rogers, one of those protesters inside, said: “The presenters point-blank refused to face up to questions about how their parasitic, speculative pursuit of profit is directly linked to the housing crisis.
“These people want to make fortunes while they sleep, but they can’t pretend that there are no ethical questions behind what they’re doing. Nor can they expect tenants to simply sit back and let it happen while our lives are made a misery.
“This approach – treating a house as some kind of investment, rather than as a home for people to live in – is the root cause of so much homelessness, poverty, and shocking living conditions.
“But housing is a fundamental right, and that’s why we’re demanding the Government introduce rent controls across the country.”
READ MORE: Airbnb makes up a quarter of listings in Edinburgh and Skye
Living Rent member Claire Thomson, said: “The organisers of this event boasted about ‘maximising your profits’, ‘making money while you sleep’, and helping landlords ‘live the life they deserve’.
“But tenants know all too well what this means. It means poverty, sky-high rents, slum flats and gentrification.
“The fortunes these people promise don’t come out of nowhere, they come from tenants who are already desperately struggling to make ends meet. It has to stop.”
The non-partisan union said that between 2010 and 2019, the Lothians saw the average price rent for a two-bedroom property climb from £665 per month to £972, an “eye-watering” 46.3% cumulative increase over nine years.
Living Rent said it tries to unite and represent all tenants in Scotland from the private or social sector.
One of the protest organisers, Gordon Maloney, added: “This protest was about this specific event, but it was also about sending a message to the Government.
READ MORE: Living Rent calls on Government to end 'parasitic approach to housing'
“Year-on-year, tenants across the country are being driven into poverty by out-of-control rents, and so far nothing the Government has done to stop this has worked.
“We urgently need proper, strong rent controls, or the situation is only going to get worse and the damage done will be irreversible.
“This action showed that tenants aren’t going to just sit back and allow rents to continue going through the roof if the Government doesn’t act.”
The Making Money from Property workshop organisers have been approached for comment.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here