We, the residents of Skye Edge in Sheffield, submit this petition to formally express our concerns regarding the management of our housing estate by Placefirst. The land on which our homes stand was sold by the Council to Placefirst under the understanding that it would be developed into a thriving rental community with adequate facilities, fair treatment, and reasonable living conditions. However, our experience as tenants has been marked by ongoing issues, including excessive control over our lifestyles, unfair financial burdens, poor communication, and Placefirst’s failure to uphold its commitments to the Council and residents alike.

Concerns and Complaints:

1. Unreasonable Control Over Residents' Lifestyles

• Placefirst enforces overly pedantic rules regarding flower pots, outdoor gardens, and other personal touches that should be at tenants’ discretion.

2. Poor Communication and Threatening Tactics

• Verbal assurances from Placefirst are often contradicted in formal written notices.
• Communication is inconsistent, demoralising, and grinding residents down.

3. Unfair Rental Agreements and Short Notice Periods

• Year-long contracts effectively trap tenants in high rents or force them into rushed housing searches.
• Placefirst provides only 2 months’ notice for contract terminations or changes, with as little as 2 weeks to agree to new contract terms, leaving tenants in precarious situations.
• Rental increases are imposed without proper justification or in line with inflation rates.

4. Failure to Deliver Promised Community Amenities

• Placefirst has not fulfilled plans for a community space, children’s park, or lawn area, despite these being conditions of their agreement with the Council.

5. Unfair Treatment and Financial Exploitation

• Unjustifiably high rent increases with no correlation to property improvements.
• Placefirst charges additional costs to direct debits without proper communication or negotiation.
• Deposit deductions are made unfairly.
• New tenants are forced to pay rent for two properties for 1-2 months due to Placefirst’s inflexible policies on move-in dates.

6. Unsafe Living Conditions and Ignored Responsibilities

• Placefirst has used crime incidents in our community as a reason to impose harsher policies rather than improve security.
• A resident had their bike stolen from the communal bike store due to inadequate security, which was downplayed by Placefirst.
• Maintenance issues, including waste left in gardens for six months post-move-in, remain unresolved.

7. Harassment and Unethical Business Practices

• Inspections of properties’ exteriors occur without consent.
• Harassment via email, including unreasonable requests such as 'spring cleaning' that should fall under landowner responsibilities.
• Placefirst pressures tenants to leave positive online reviews while threatening those who post negative but truthful accounts about maintenance and service.

8. Exploitative Rent Pricing

• The rent at move-in was already above market rate and has been further increased excessively within a year.
• Comparable properties in the area are being offered for lower rent than ours, highlighting unfair price inflation.

Our Request

Given these ongoing issues, we urge Sheffield City Council to:

• Conduct a formal review into Placefirst’s adherence to the terms under which they acquired this land.
• Hold Placefirst accountable for their failure to deliver promised community spaces and ensure these are provided.
• Investigate unfair rental practices and impose measures to prevent unjust rent hikes.
• Establish stronger protections for tenants against Placefirst’s exploitative and predatory leasing policies.
• Ensure a fair and ethical standard of property management that aligns with the upcoming Renters’ Reform Bill and does not trap tenants in fixed, unreasonable contracts.

As residents, we believe that Placefirst is failing to fulfil its obligations as a responsible housing provider and is misusing its control over this land in ways that harm tenants. We seek the Council’s urgent intervention to protect our community and ensure that our housing remains fair, safe, and sustainable for all residents.

We request a formal response outlining the actions the Council will take in response to our concerns.

Sincerely,

Skye Edge Residents