Citizens Advice East Berkshire CEO Pippa Banham was on the BBC Radio Berkshire breakfast show on November 3 to talk about the crisis in housing and the experience of CAEB clients facing rent increases.
Figures collected by RightMove for BBC Radio Berkshire show that average monthly rents across the county rose by more than a fifth from 2021 to 2023. Reading student Precious, aged 22 discussed her rental experiences with various landlords, having moved four times in the last four years due to unsuitable living conditions and unreasonable rent increases.
Pippa Banham reported an increase in clients coming to Citizens Advice East Berkshire with housing issues and that to tackle this, advisers have received extra training on housing law. Pippa discussed protection as a renter, negotiations on rent increases, tackling issues of dis-repair and the importance of understanding your rights when taking on a rental lease.
Pippa said: “Thanks to BBC Radio Berkshire for giving a platform to talk about the problems in housing, it’s useful to shine a light on the housing crisis and the sort of problems that, worryingly, we hear about every day.”
You can listen to the segment via BBC Sounds here. The interview begins at 2:08 30
