A pressure group of campaigners highly critical of landlords and letting agents is organising protests at cities this weekend.

Acorn – which was earlier this week ordered to pay £100,000 in damages to a landlord – is staging what it calls a national day of action to coincide with the launch of its Renters Reform Blueprint, and its call for local election candidates to use their influence to make the Renters Reform Bill as transformative for renters as possible.

The six major protests are at Brighton, London,  Newcastle, Walsall, Sheffield and Leeds.

Acorn says on social media: “Private renting in England is broken. From families facing no fault eviction, to those forced to live in unsafe housing, to people shut out of their communities by runaway rents. Renters need and deserve better.

“Along with 20 renters organisations & advocacy groups who make up @RentersReformCo, we’re calling for the Government’s long awaited Renters’ Reform Bill to deliver the security, affordability, better standards & end to discrimination that renters need and deserve.”

Acorn and the Renters Reform Coalition want an end to Section 21, tenancies to run as long as the tenant wishes, a national landlord register, rent controls and other pro-renter changes to the system.

The Renters Reform Coalition describes itself as organisations committed to working together to ensure the Renters’ Reform Bill “delivers the safety, security and improvements needed for the 11 million private renters in England. We are united in our mission to reform the private rented sector so that everyone who relies on it for their home can prosper.”