Glasgow Arts Hub Tenants Condemn 'Unsustainable' Rent Rises by City Property
Tenants at one of Glasgow's leading cultural hubs are battling what they describe as "unsustainable" rent increases, with critics accusing the landlord, City Property, of imposing "coercive and unfair" rises and issuing eviction notices. City Property, which manages hundreds of buildings on behalf of Glasgow City Council, has been labelled a "rogue agency" by some, with concerns mounting over its conduct and accountability.
Protests and Political Intervention
Hundreds of protesters gathered outside the offices of City Property last Friday, as tenants faced deadlines to sign new leases or receive notices to quit. The demonstration highlights growing unease about the arm's-length organisation's practices. At First Minister's Questions in Holyrood, Scottish Labour MSP Paul Sweeney urged First Minister John Swinney to intervene, warning that City Property is "out of control" and threatening to force out seven tenants at Trongate 103 with extra costs totalling £700,000 annually—four times previous rent and ten times service charges.
Trongate 103, renovated in 2009 with £8 million of public investment to foster a sustainable grassroots arts community, houses prominent cultural organisations such as Transmission Gallery, Street Level Photography, and Glasgow Print Studio. Tenants have written to Scottish Culture Secretary Angus Robertson and all MSPs, expressing fears that the "current trajectory risks dismantling one of Glasgow's most important cultural assets."
Tenant Experiences and Disputes
Mark Langdon, chair of Glasgow Media Access Centre, which has relocated to a nearby community centre, stated: "After 17 years in the building, we were given only four weeks to decide. We feel our experience has been coercive and unfair, and very far from the values of diversity and community that City Property champions on their website." Glasgow Print Studio reported signing an interim monthly lease "under duress" to maintain operations, but rejected the "unsustainable increases" to rent and uncapped service charges.
Other organisations in Glasgow have faced similar issues. Turning Point Scotland, a major social care provider, is disputing £805,000 in "dilapidation" charges after moving out of a property, despite spending £1 million on repairs. Consultant Chris Wallace noted: "City Property likes to say this is a negotiation. The council says it's a commercial dispute and won't get involved." Wallace added that other charity tenants have encountered unsustainable rent hikes but are reluctant to speak out due to ongoing lease disputes.
City Property's Response and Accountability Concerns
City Property has vehemently denied evicting tenants, asserting that notices to quit are standard in lease renewals and that new rents remain cheaper than commercial rates. A spokesperson said: "City Property are continuing to discuss new leases with the tenants of 103 Trongate on sustainable and acceptable terms for both parties. It is City Property's firm intention to work with all tenants to secure their long-term occupation." The agency emphasised it is "fully accountable to and scrutinised by its Board," which includes elected council members and senior officers.
However, an anonymous charity tenant expressed worry: "I'm concerned that if they get away with this, they will roll it out to even more vulnerable organisations. Their maintenance of properties has been a complete shambles, but there's no accountability for an arm's-length organisation." City Property refuted these claims, stating it complies with the council's concessionary rent policy and manages maintenance transparently.
Political Calls for Oversight
The Scottish Greens are bringing a motion to Glasgow City Council next week, advocating for "greater collective intervention" to support Trongate 103 tenants and improved oversight of arm's-length organisations like City Property. Deputy Provost Christy Mearns commented: "Trongate 103 should never have been passed over as a purely commercial asset, as the organisations within it are not commercial by their very nature and nor should they be." Paul Sweeney echoed calls for enhanced scrutiny, stressing that City Property should prioritise public interest.
A Glasgow City Council spokesperson noted: "Our understanding is that discussions on new leases for spaces at Trongate 103 are ongoing and taking place in a reasonable way between all concerned." The situation underscores broader tensions over the management of public assets and the protection of cultural institutions in Glasgow.
