A4R Expands to provide Legal Advice to rural Herefordshire
A4R PRESS RELEASE
FRIDAY 18TH AUGUST
Advice for Renters, a charity giving free legal advice and support to tenants, is successfully expanding from its main office in London to Herefordshire. They have found a home right in the heart of the city at the Fred Bulmer Centre, where they are neighbours with other dedicated local charities and causes.
Advice for Renters (A4R) has grown significantly since its inception in 1989. It was born out of private renters’ needs to improve living conditions. Since then, most of its housing work is provided through Legal Aid contracts. Legal Aid is the Government’s free (or low cost) legal advice scheme, as it can be difficult for many tenants in the Private Rented Sector (PRS) to receive free legal advice for housing issues.
However, since 2013, major cuts have been made to Legal Aid which have alarmingly reduced the number of cases eligible for free support. Subsequently, across England and Wales, 25.3m people do not have access to a Legal Aid provider for housing, according to the Law Society. These people live in what is classified as a Legal Aid Desert. The number of those needing support has only catapulted with rising rents and the Cost of Living crisis.
According to research firm Fraser and Fraser, Herefordshire has no Legal Aid providers, though neighbouring Worcestershire has one. As a result, A4R’s expansion to Hereford aims to help local tenants and other occupiers, such as lodgers, within the PRS to get the help they need. It is a step from inner city London to rural Hereford but the fundamental issues are the same.
As a first step to providing tenants with legal advice, A4R will initially help tenants under their Green Light Laws (GLL) Project. This project is exclusive to A4R and has already created a positive impact for many Londoners. In the past year, A4R has helped a number of PRS tenants by providing free legal advice on their housing matters in areas of Law which not covered by Legal Aid.
Under the GLL Project, A4R will be able to give support for Herefordshire PRS tenants regarding:
Deposit disputes with the landlord;
Understanding tenancy agreements;
Rent increases; and
Legal advice for county court hearings and tribunals.
The second phase of the expansion into Herefordshire will begin when A4R’s Legal Aid contract starts in September. This contract will enable A4R to provide legal advice for other areas of Law and for non-PRS tenants, such as those currently in council housing or living in Housing Association properties.
They are currently recruiting their legal team in the area. Their new office can be found at the Fred Bulmer Centre, Wall Street, Hereford, HR4 9HP, and those with housing matters can reach out at 020 7624 4327 or via their website at www.adviceforrenters.org/contact
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Note to Editors:
1. https://www.lawsociety.org.uk/campaigns/legal-aid-deserts
2. https://www.fraserandfraser.co.uk/news/law-society-calls-for-end-of-legal-aid-deserts/