33% of residents live in privately rented housing. That’s twice the national average.

That’s 33% of people locally potentially living with insecure tenancies, rising costs, and poor conditions — and too few of their stories are being told.

I firmly believe that everyone deserves to live in dignity.

During a recent roundtable, I heard from tenants dealing with harrowing issues. We’re talking about mould so bad it causes asthma and triggers eczema flares; rents being hiked by upwards of 10%; issues taking not weeks, but years to be sorted out by landlords.

These stories aren’t unique. They’re not new. And renters feel like they haven’t got a voice.

This isn’t something that only affects a handful of people. On the roads around the Sovereign Centre and Churchill Gardens, the rate of renting is as high as 81%.

In Parliament, the Government is bringing forward the Renters’ Rights Bill, which will ban no-fault evictions, cap rent increases, and extend the Decent Home Standards to privately rented properties. It’s a landmark piece of legislation I fully support, and I’ve been speaking up for it in Parliament.

But local voices matter too. That’s why I’m launching a new survey, open to renters, landlords, and estate agents alike: I want to hear your stories.

Most landlords do the right thing and look after their tenants, but rogue ones are giving everyone else a bad name — and trapping families in dangerous, insecure homes.

By collecting your stories, I plan to push for further protections for renters both here in Bournemouth, and at the national level in Westminster.

Please share your story here.