Tenants in Bristol are planning to demonstrate outside one of the city’s letting agents on Saturday, after it sent letters to landlords suggesting that they consider putting up their rents.

In a mailing to prospective clients, the Southville branch of agents CJ Hole asked landlords: “Are you getting enough rent?” It went on to say “With rents increasing every week in Bristol, it is highly likely that your property is due a rent increase.” It cited recent tenancies it had agreed, including one for a one-bedroom flat at £835 a month and a two-bedroom house at £1,500 and said it could arrange a rent increase for anyone switching to it from a different agent “without loss of income”.

The letter sparked fury among renters in Bristol, who have seen rents rise more quickly than inflation and are finding it increasingly difficult to get on the housing ladder. House prices in the city are up by 11% since last year, according to Nationwide building society, at an average of £283,307.

An online petition set up by Nathan Williams, who rents in Bristol, had been signed by 11,696 people by lunchtime on Friday. At 11am on Saturday demonstrators will deliver it to the letting agent.

Letter to prospective landlord clients sent by CJ Hole Southville

Williams said he had not been surprised by the response to the petition. “So many friends in Bristol and elsewhere have experienced unjustified rent rises in recent years and excessive agents fees for basic things like signing or renewing a contract, that I knew it was tapping into a seam of anger and frustration,” he said.

“I’m expecting people to turn out in numbers and show their frustration with these practices and at politicians for doing nothing to stop renters being exploited like this.”



He said he hoped CJ Hole would commit to not sending more letters like this and that it would sign up to a local ethical lettings charter. “I also hope this will raise the issue of tenants rights and rent controls, get people to look at the different party policies, vote, and force Bristol’s next MPs to seriously act on tenants’ rights and rent controls,” he added.

In a statement, CJ Hole said: “CJ Hole prides itself on its professional services to both private landlords and to tenants. It is essential that the landlord and tenant relationship operates on fair and free-market principles. This ensures good quality affordable private rented accommodation is made available by encouraging new buy to let landlords to enter the market and for fresh capital investment to be made into existing housing stock.

“Our approach to landlords was to ensure that appropriate fair and free-market rents were in operation. Artificially low rents will not encourage new rental properties to come forward or for investment to be made into existing assets, thereby harming the overall rental market in the locality. This benefits no one in the longer term.”

