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The Landlord Alliance group is calling on UK landlords to boycott big brands such as M&S and B&Q this Christmas. It says these companies are supporting homeless charity, Shelter, which targets landlords and accuses them of unfairly evicting tenants. The group says Shelter is creating the wrong impression of private landlords in the media.
The head of the group, Larry Sweeny, says he and his fellow landlords will no longer be shopping at B&Q or M&S because these companies support Shelter and donate some of their profits to its initiatives.
“We’re not out here to be popular. Our members voted to boycott Shelter because they are a terrible charity. They’re a homeless charity that don’t home people,” says Mr Sweeny.
“It’s nauseating to see them with these big turkey sandwiches and flowers, and M&S are pretending to be the good guys. It’s hypocrisy at its worst – what homeless person can afford a sandwich?”
Shelter Supports Vulnerable Tenants
Shelter didn’t seem too concerned by the news. They dismissed the Landlord Alliance’s comments as unrepresentative of the PRS. They believe that most “reasonable” landlords support Shelter’s mission statement, which is to “defend people’s right to a safe home”.
The charity provides help to anyone with housing issues, including tenants being evicted by their landlords. They offer legal advice and support, for free.
M&S and B&Q Respond
M&S states it supports Shelter and its aims. It too doesn’t seem concerned to hear that Landlord Alliance members will be boycotting its stores. B&Q issued a statement saying it believed Shelter was the right charity for them to work with and they were happy with the way the company’s donations were being used.
