Tenants cover art

Tenants

The People on the Frontline of Britain's Housing Emergency

 Preview

Get 30 days of Standard free

£5.99/mo after trial. Cancel monthly.
Try for £0.00
More purchase options

Tenants

By: Vicky Spratt
Narrated by: Vicky Spratt
Try for £0.00

£5.99 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for £17.94

Buy Now for £17.94

Summary

One of the best books of 2022, Metro, Evening Standard, Refinery29, Cosmopolitan.

Tony is facing eviction instead of enjoying retirement; Limarra isn't 'homeless enough' to get help from the council and for Kelly and her asthmatic son Morgan, another new rented house is a matter of life and death. This is 21st-century Britain, where millions are forced into the private rental sector—a sector that creates profit for landlords, not safe and stable homes for tenants.

In this fierce and moving account, journalist Vicky Spratt traces decades of bad policy decisions to show how and why the British dream of homeownership has withered and the safety net of social housing has broken. Through the lives of those in the renting trap, she illuminates the ways this crisis is devastating our health, communities and political landscape. But, as the COVID epidemic showed, there are also real, radical steps we can take to give everyone the chance of a good home.

©2022 Vicky Spratt (P)2022 Profile Books Ltd Poverty & Homelessness Social Sciences Sociology Urban
adbl_web_anon_alc_button_suppression_c

Critic reviews

"A must-read." (Cosmopolitan)

"A major new book on the history and politics of renting." (Evening Standard)

"There is nobody better placed to write a book that tells the stories of 'Britain's housing shame'." (Metro)
All stars
Most relevant
The lilting delivery is difficult to listen to for long periods of time. But in general this was a very insightful book.

Difficult to listen to

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
As a housing professional who has worked in the sector for nearly 25 years, I was interested in what Vicky would have to say. I was impressed with how well researched and insightful this was. It was brought to life by case studies. Great to hear someone as passionate about this issue as I am.

insightful and passionate

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Great book, great content. It’s just such a shame that the narrator (who naturally has a really lovely narrating voice) uses unnatural intonation. It’s as if she’s been tutored on how to speak on an audiobook but has overused the techniques. I hate leaving negative reviews but I just hope if there’s a sequel there is a more natural delivery because it’s distracting and I can only do a chapter at a time. Great content though - I do recommend it.

Good purchase. Glad I bought it…

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Really important book about a topic that impacts everyone. Excellent.
However, if ever there was a textbook example of why authors shouldn’t read their own books, this is it. You wouldn’t get lilt and cadence if a professional voice artist were used.

Very good book

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Whilst I’ve got some understanding of those reviewers who struggled with the lilting delivery, the book benefitted from being read by its author, in my opinion. It is an instructive and sobering analysis of the housing crisis in the UK and, regardless of your political persuasion, well worth a listen.

Hugely important book

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews