‘Vulnerable’ tenants fear homelessness after charity tells them to pay up to £700 more a month

On a peaceful Richmond estate, around 67 flats sit next to the Poppy Factory – the face of the UK’s Remembrance Week.

The charity, which owns all of the homes, works closely with the Royal British Legion by supplying poppies to nation during the month of November.

But last week they popped a letter through the front doors of homes across the estate, ordering an increase of up to £700 per month.

In the letter seen by Metro, the charity openly acknowledges this is ahead of the Renters Right Act being brought into force, which will stop landlords from suddenly upping their prices.

Residents have been given until February 24 to decide whether to pay the prices or ‘move on’, leaving them unable to sleep with stress.

Ben Jakeman, a single dad who has lived on the estate for eight years, said that not only can he not afford the increase which will bring his rent to more £2,300 a month – but he has nowhere else to go.

He told Metro: ‘There is already an annual increase built into our contracts, it’s not as if the price of this place has not gone up in 10 years.

‘Many of the people living here are key workers, and a lot of us are on universal credit to supplement income, we can’t just afford this at the drop of a hat.

‘I moved here for my son’s education because the schools are great around here. I don’t want to uproot him. This will effectively leave us homeless.’

The Royal Borough of Richmond has no council housing, but works with associations to provide ‘social housing’.

But this number only comes to around 300 per year, making it near-impossible to find anywhere to live in the area on an average income.

The Poppy Factory said: ‘We recognise that the proposed rent increases
have caused concern for some residents on Petersham Road and we are in direct contact with tenants to discuss their individual circumstances.

‘The Poppy Factory is a national charity that supports veterans and their families who face some of the greatest challenges into life-changing civilian employment.

‘All of the flats affected by these changes on our Richmond upon Thames residential estate are rented privately, and the income from these supports our charitable mission.

‘In several cases, rents have remained well below comparable local market levels for many years. No one is being asked to pay more than others are already paying for similar-sized properties on the same estate.

‘The new Renters Rights’ Act forces us to move more quickly than we would have liked.’

But one tenant, who asked to remain anonymous, told Metro she agreed to a rental increase of £600 last year ‘to bring the flat up to market value’.

‘So the last thing I was expecting was for another increase on top of this,’ she told Metro.

‘I have been here for more than 10 years with my son. We have been good tenants and have made a home here. I couldn’t stop crying when I got the letter.’

Another tenant added she has been cutting down on her monthly costs after her rent was raised last year, but cannot afford another £700 like they are asking.

She said: ‘It’s not like I am on minimum wage, I have a good job, but all of these sudden increases will make it hard for anyone to afford.

‘I have two children, I cannot just easily afford all of this. It’s really unfair.’

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