The Eastern Landlords Association (ELA) has condemned comments labelled “unprofessional and disgusting” that were recorded being said at its annual conference.
Tenants’ union Acorn, which demonstrated outside the event (main image) posted an audio clip from the event on X when unguarded remarks were made about the group, labelling them “fascists”.
The recording says: “Yeah, there was a lot in green berets, multi-coloured nails…that was the men. (Sound of laughing) I mean there’s nothing wrong with that, each to their own.
“Can we use them as target practice before the shooting season?” (Sound of laughing).
ELA chairman and director Paul Cunningham (pictured) says the recording captures derogatory comments made by an unidentified audience member during a public Q&A session at its expo on 16th May, which was open to all at the Wensum Valley Hotel, Golf and Country Club near Norwich.
“The ELA does not condone such language but cannot police the speech of every attendee at a public event,” he tells LandlordZONE.
“We remain open to discussion from all groups on topics regarding property letting.”
Niahl Hubbard, branch secretary at Acorn Norwich, says the union campaigned outside the association’s conference to call for better licensing.
He says the comments made about local renters and Acorn members were “totally unprofessional and quite frankly disgusting”.
“We think it’s telling that landlords feel comfortable enough to make and leave unchallenged comments such as these, which are both insulting and verging on threatening violence, and shows exactly why local renters desperately need proper protections in the city,” Hubbard tells LandlordZONE.
Acorn says a director of the ELA attended Acorn’s Norwich branch meeting last November, where he was, “encouraged to arrange a more appropriate direct meeting with us to discuss the ELA’s role in discouraging rogue landlords in the city - an offer which so far has not been accepted”.
But the ELA explains that when a member attended one of Acorn’s public meetings, openly identified himself as a landlord, and attempted to engage in a constructive dialogue about the private rented sector and the aims of both organisations, instead of a two-way conversation, he was pressured to sign up for Acorn membership.
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