A Foxtons branch was the subject of a protest by activists over the weekend.

A rally was held outside the east London Shoreditch office of the agency, in opposition to what the organisers called “skyrocketing rents, corporate greed, and a housing system that’s pushing families to the brink.”

A statement from the London Renters Union says: “While Foxtons celebrates soaring profits, our neighbours are choosing between rent and food. This is the human cost of the housing crisis.”

The protesters claim “families are crammed into temporary accommodation. Young people are locked out of a secure future. The communities that built this city are torn apart and displaced.”

And it says: “Foxtons is responsible for driving up rents, and plays an important role in the booming and extortionate Build To Rent market which is a major site of profiteering for international private equity.”

LRU spokesperson Jae Vail says: “Labour was elected on a platform of fixing the housing crisis, but under its leadership, the crisis has only deepened. 

“The government has allowed massive corporations from across the world to tighten their stranglehold on our communities, turning our homes into assets for their balance sheets, and destroying the soul of our city in the process. 

“Families are forced to pack their bags and leave their neighbourhoods while corporate giants are given the keys to the city. Across the world, tenants are taking mass action and winning lower rents. 

“We must continue to come together in our communities to demand an end to the profiteering and a housing system that works for everybody.”