LONG-SUFFERING tenants living in Oxford have shared shocking tales of housing conditions that reveal the true horrors of the city’s rental crisis.

Renters across the city have a sense of solidarity when it comes to dodgy landlords and poor living conditions – from severe mould to leaks and woodlice infestations.

Their horror stories have been shared by the tenants’ and community union Acorn, which recently opened a branch in Oxford to help those burdened by the pressure of housing difficulties.

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One tenant and member of Acorn, who asked to remain anonymous out of fear of retaliation by their landlord, revealed that an old heating unit caused a fire in their single bedroom.

They said: “One evening the wall mounted heating unit in my single bedroom flat caught on fire.

Oxford Mail:

“Fortunately there was a fire extinguisher in the flat, so I managed to put it out quickly, though I noticed afterwards that the warranty of the fire extinguisher had expired years ago and so should have been replaced.

“Although there was no lasting damage I was disappointed that the potential fire hazard of the old heating unit had not been picked up sooner in one of the landlord’s inspections.

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“I was further dismayed to find that the landlord had no legal obligation to provide fire extinguishers or fire blankets since it is not an HMO property.”

An HMO – a House in Multiple Occupation – is a property that is rented out by at least three people who are not from one ‘household’, for example a family, but share facilities like the bathroom and kitchen.

The union highlighted another horrifying tale, where a tenant was forced to put up with an infestation of slugs and woodlice in their home.

Oxford Mail:

They also had to suffer a leaking roof that caused damp to seep down into several rooms in the house, causing ‘severe mould’, and a sagging ceiling in the bathroom.

The tenant added: “When it rained, a small puddle would form in the kitchen.

“There was a broken window at the back of the house causing a security risk, and water leaking into an open socket representing a major fire hazard.

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“The lino in the kitchen was ripped up and damaged, and rubbish from previous tenants was left all over the back garden.”

According to the union, these stories only highlight the need for introducing a mandatory landlord licensing scheme in the city, which would force hundreds of landlord to obey strict regulations set by Oxford City Council.

Oxford Mail:

This means that in order to maintain their right to let out property, they would need to meet certain conditions.

Such schemes have successfully improved housing standards in Newham and Bristol – despite opposition from landlords and agencies.

Have a landlord horror story? Email gergana.krasteva@newsquest.co.uk