A city newspaper has launched a campaign which is claims will combat damp and mould in local rental properties.
Epigram describes itself as a “political neutral” newspaper aimed primarily at students within Bristol.
It has launched a campaign called Break The Mould! Which claims that the city’s private rents market is “hellish” in large part due to what it calls “the almost universal problem of mould.”
Now it’s launched a petition says that combined with “rising rents and the stress of finding one of these expensive, poorly maintained properties” it is no wonder so many students have such a negative experience in the rental market.
The newspaper wants to set up a Rent Review system, similar to TripAdvisor, where students can review how quickly and how effectively their landlords respond to issues.
It says: “Any landlord with a high rating in terms of trust will then receive some form of ‘verification’ from the Students Union that will be visible to students when they are choosing where to move into.”
The petition is accompanied by a survey calling for any experiences with mould, damp “or just terrible landlords/letting agencies in general.”
Curiously, in its plea for people to sign the petition, the newspaper (which says it’s “run for students, by students”) adds the public statement: “you don’t have to be a UoB student (or a student at all!) to sign this but, if you are, we kindly ask that you sign with an account linked to a uni email address, please and thank you “
You can see the petition here: https://www.change.org/p/break-the-mould-hold-landlords-accountable-for-dangerous-student-living-conditions?ref=epigram.org.uk
