How many of us are paying for services we never see delivered?

Amber was. So were her neighbours. Instead of waiting for answers, they took action.

They legally removed their managing agent, set up their own resident-led company, and took full control of managing their block. What followed wasn’t just a reduction in service charges — it was a rise in standards, accountability, and community power.

This isn’t a fantasy — it’s already happening. And if more leaseholders follow Amber’s lead, it could change the balance of power in housing management entirely.

In this special episode, we unpack:

• The process of removing an agent
• The challenges of going independent
• Why the current system is failing
• And whether this is a real alternative to a service charge strike

If you’re tired of paying for services you’re not receiving, this one’s for you.

Listen now:
https://needhamrtm.squarespace.com/
Read more:
https://www.kentonline.co.uk/dartford/news/management-firm-kept-overcharging-us-so-we-ousted-them-no-326496/

#HousingCrisis #Leaseholders #ServiceCharges #ResidentPower #HousingSector #PropertyManagement #RightToManage #SocialJustice #Accountability #HousingReform #GrassrootsAction #TenantVoice #BlockManagement #AmberStory #SackEm #HousingActivism

For the first time on the Housing Sector Podcast, I’m joined by three guests — campaigners from the grassroots group Welsh Cladiators — to talk about building safety, leasehold injustice, and the slow, painful fight for accountability in Wales.

Despite having a devolved government, the issues facing residents in Wales mirror those in England. Unsafe homes. Delays. Legal loopholes. A government that won't act until pushed. The housing crisis may wear different colours, but it speaks the same language — one of silence, stalling, and shifting responsibility.

We speak about the importance of standing together. About what unites us, not divides us. This fight has been carried by unpaid residents and grassroots campaigners — people like Rob Nichols, Mark Thomas, and Geoff Spight — who have become experts by necessity, not choice. While others draw salaries and stall progress, these voices keep pushing forward for one simple reason: because no one else will.

What we want isn’t complicated. Just safe, affordable, decent homes. That shouldn’t be too much to ask.

https://opencollective.com/welsh-cladiators

https://www.facebook.com/groups/welshcladiator/

https://nation.cymru/opinion/welsh-cladiators-leading-the-way-to-justice-for-building-safety-victims/

https://www.leaseholdknowledge.com/tag/welsh-cladiators/

https://www.leaseholdknowledge.com/more-than-six-years-after-grenfell-and-15-months-after-the-building-safety-act-how-does-labour-wales-compare-with-tory-westminster-over-fixing-badly-built-blocks-of-flats/

https://business.senedd.wales/documents/s162509/Paper%2011%20Building%20Safety%20-%20Response%20from%20Welsh%20Cladiators%20-%209%20June%202025.pdf

#HousingSectorPodcast #WelshCladiators #BuildingSafetyCrisis #CladdingScandal #LeaseholdReform #CardiffHousing #SocialHousing #HousingJustice #GrenfellLegacy #WalesHousingCrisis #TenantVoices #ResidentLed #AccountabilityMatters #DevolvedButIgnored #SafeHomesNow #GeoffSpight #RobNichols #MarkThomas #GrassrootsActivism #NoMoreDelays #HousingCymru

In this narrated blog from HousingSector.co.uk, Ben Jenkins takes a critical look at the Chartered Institute of Housing — questioning whether the organisation truly represents residents or has become too entangled in sector politics, self-promotion, and silence.

From empty conference slogans to tokenistic inclusion and the commodification of "tenant voice," this episode challenges the sector to look in the mirror.

Read the full blog and explore more content at housingsector.co.uk.

#HousingCrisis #HousingSectorPodcast #CIH #SocialHousing #ResidentVoice #Accountability #InsideHousing #TenantLed #SpinSilenceRepeat #HousingJustice #NotForProfitScrutiny #UKHousing