MOST local council by-elections turn out short of a third of the electorate with elected councillors barely scraping past 1,000 votes. Given that, why would any  tenant or trade unions organise around them?

Well, exactly because they are a crucial entry point into councillors feeling the pressure of having to deliver for their constituents. With low turnout, a small number of people can make a big difference. If we are to win the change we need by-elections, such as the ones coming up in Edinburgh, and the council elections next May, are crucial moments to organise around. This is especially the case given the rise of Reform and its ambition at local government level.

In Edinburgh, on September 3, there are two local by-elections: in Portobello and Craigmillar ward and Newington and Southside ward. In these wards, members of Living Rent are going out doorknocking, talking to their neighbours and members of the public about the housing crisis and urging people to evaluate the legacy of the current administration of Edinburgh Council.

Under the current Labour administration, propped up by the Tories and Lib Dems, Edinburgh Council has sided — again and again — with landlords and developers.

The council has failed to curb rising rents and has overseen the explosion of short-term lets and expensive purpose-built student accommodation rather than the type of housing that this city needs. In the last 15 years, private rents have skyrocketed over 100 per cent, nearly double inflation.

Since 2010, the number of purpose-built student accommodation has ballooned, rising to over 22,000 beds, many of which sit empty. And yet more applications are still being granted, gnawing away the little available land in the city centre and turning more of our city into a playground for the rich. Short-term let landlords are bypassing regulations, using loopholes or weak enforcement to continue to operate their businesses, leading to ongoing pressure on rent levels and consequences for local residents.

At the same time, the council has failed to invest in social housing and reduce the 30,000-strong waiting list, many of whom have been waiting for over five years. Even when they have made commitments to build more social housing, such as through funding raised via the visitor levy, this has been barely a drop in the ocean of what is needed to tackle the issue.

Coupled with these systemic failings, pandering to developers and a failure to confront the problem head on, this council has also approved the application for a landlord registration of a convicted sex offender, and then took more than four months to strip him of his licence after the police informed them. It has also granted an £8m homeless housing contract to a landlord who historically pleaded guilty to running unregistered lets and unlicensed HMOs, to name just two instances.

Temporary housing remains of poor quality, and almost every week, tenants in temporary housing contact us regarding the presence of pest, damp, mould or mushrooms. They feel trapped in these homes, which also drain public finances of much needed money for permanent housing.

And the reason this council has been able to get away with such a poor performance on housing is that the administration is not afraid of losing their seats. The two wards where these by-elections are being held are also the  wards where the housing convener and the council leader have their seats.

That’s why we are going out on the doors and encouraging people to vote against the current administration’s candidates, and to pledge to support candidates that commit to rent controls, social housing and action on rogue landlords. We need to show them that we refuse to put up with poor excuses in response to the housing crisis.

We’re sending a crystal clear message: your job is on the line — and if you continue to betray renters, we will cost you that job.

But it is not just about this administration. Across Britain, far-right parties are on the rise. This year’s local election results have seen Reform the largest party in 33 councils across England. It would be foolish to believe the same thing could not happen here. The local elections next year can not just be about stopping Reform, we need and deserve councillors that put forward a vision for our cities and country as a whole that will take steps to fundamentally change our housing and our public services.

Aditi Jehangir is secretary of Living Rent Edinburgh.