A union that represents renters is calling for the council to take more action to stop landlords from issuing “revenge evictions”.

Community union Acorn is urging councillors to back a motion being presented in a meeting later this afternoon which would allow Brighton and Hove City Council to start issuing formal notices to landlords to stop evictions being made in retaliation for tenants making complaints about the condition of their property.

The union claims that testimony from their members and evidence presented to the council reveals that many renters in the city have been evicted in such a manner by landlords.

While councils have the power to help stop revenge evictions through formal notices, Acorn claims that the city council’s policy puts renters at risk by issuing informal warnings, which offer no legal protection for tenants.

A spokeswoman for Acorn said: “Our members and renters across the city have been revenge-evicted by landlords for asking for repairs. Nobody should be scared into silence about repair issues for fear of being evicted. This is a shocking situation faced by many and must change now.

“The council’s current policy is soft on landlords who break the law and is actively putting tenants at risk by only giving warnings to landlords whose tenants complain, leaving them with no legal means to challenge revenge evictions.

“Recent stories in the news have highlighted that poor living conditions can be a matter of life and death, yet over the past years Brighton and Hove City Council have let the city continue to be a ‘wild west’ for vulnerable tenants.

“This has to change now, and that’s why we are asking councillors to vote for this motion.”

Councillors will vote on the motion in a meeting of full council later this afternoon.

Brighton and Hove’s lead councillor for the private rented sector, Martin Osborne, said: “On November 16, councillors alongside the chief executive and senior city council officials met with Acorn to further understand their concerns.

“The council has limited powers to take action in the deregulated private rented sector.

“However, the council’s leadership has already committed to earlier enforcement action and to review the previous private rented sector enforcement policy to ensure that it is meeting the needs of our residents.

“We have recently invested an extra £200,000 into extra private sector housing enforcement staff to improve standards and take action where necessary against rogue landlords. This has seen an increase in fines over the past year.

“We have called on the government to provide extra enforcement capacity, as well as more urgently prioritise bringing forward the Renter’s Reform Bill. This would end no-fault evictions, as was first promised in 2018.

“As part of our ongoing work on the cost-of-living crisis, we’ve also written to Michael Gove to freeze rents, reintroduce a temporary ban on evictions until at least March 2024 and to increase local housing allowance in line with inflation.

“Councillors will consider and respond to a motion at a meeting of the full council. It would not be appropriate for us to comment on this before the council meeting.”