A GROUP which aims to protect the rights of renters in Oxford has called for the local council to take action in light of the uncertainty caused by coronavirus.

The Oxford Tenants Union wants Oxford City Council to commit to a series of actions to help people who rent in the city who have been made 'vulnerable' by 'lockdown' measures.

A spokesperson for the Oxford Tenants Union said: “Renters in Oxford are being forced to make potentially lethal decisions between public safety and keeping their homes.

"Oxford City Council must act quickly and decisively to reassure renters that they will not lose their homes as a result of the coronavirus and in doing so, enable us to act.”

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One-third of Oxford citizens live in rented accommodation, including many of those most vulnerable to the impacts of the coronavirus. Rents in Oxford are amongst the highest in the UK making this a particularly urgent problem in our city.

Oxford Tenants Union called on Oxford City Council to show leadership by adopting five measures.

These included:

  • making a public commitment to all Oxford City Council tenants that no one will lose their home
  • offering ‘rent holidays’ to tenants unable to work
  • halting all evictions for Housing Association or Council tenants
  • providing emergency funding to low-income renters to encourage them to stay home
  • putting in place emergency legislation to ensure private-renters living in shared accommodation are forced to self-isolate

Oxford City Council is expected to make a package of commitments based around the union's demands tonight.

The Government is also expected to make a series of announcements which would help renters across the UK.

The Oxford Tenants Union is a campaign group set up by local renters.