Watch the tenants from our dispute with G4 Lets explain that an Environmental Health Report shows that G4Lets neglected their legal decoration, fire, and pest control duties, then charged the tenants for decoration, fire, and pest control.

For the past four months, two groups of tenants have been organising with us after they collectively had £3000 withheld from their deposits at the end of their tenancies. G4Lets have largely maintained the legitimacy of these deductions throughout this dispute, even selectively quoting from an Environmental Health Report to claim that it supported them in this matter. The tenants in one of these disputes have now obtained a copy of this report, and it shows precisely the opposite. The report, delivered to director of G4Lets Mark Shields before the tenants moved out, states: 'I am writing to remind you that as an owner/manager of a shared house the above Management Regulations place a duty on you to, among other things, maintain the property in good order. During my inspection I noted fire precaution issues, a mouse infestation, poor decoration and disrepair. This represents an offence under the regulations'.

The report then goes on to stipulate works that G4Lets are responsible for carrying out to remedy these issues. Not only did G4Lets proceed to charge the tenants for these problems (on behalf of a landlord living in a £1.5m house) - most of which preceded these tenants' tenancy, as evidenced in a ten-page document that they have provided to G4Lets - G4Lets have also not even carried out all of the stipulated works.

For four months, G4Lets have selectively quoted from this report, in the full knowledge that it places the responsibility for these matters with them, and refused to refund these tenants' deposit. In response to this blatant deception, we have started a pledge amongst lecturing and support staff at the Higher Education institutions in the city. For students' own good, staff are pledging to actively inform them not to use such a duplicitous agency until they refund these deposits and address the issues raised. If you work at one of the Higher Education institutions in the city and wish to sign this pledge, you can do so here: https://goo.gl/forms/GfZd4tutqHcazgx92

If you are a tenant with G4Lets and you want to join or support the campaign - if you need some advice on a current situation or if you just want to help these tenants out, you can contact us at housing@brightonsolfed.org.uk.

Our campaign continues - an injury to one is an injury to all!

G4LetsCampaign from Brighton Solfed on Vimeo.