Campaigners packed into a vociferous public meeting to protest against tenancy fees.

Two local agents, Peter Stephenson from Piper Property, and Gareth Hunt of Besley Hill, braved the meeting in Bristol after eight others turned down the invitation “to explain themselves” from the organisers, ACORN, a social justice group.

The meeting called for a protest rally against those agents who did not attend, and this is to take place on Saturday, July 26.

ACORN is specifically campaigning in Easton, an inner city area of Bristol, where a high proportion of households are in private rented accommodation.

The campaigners are also protesting about insecure tenures, and the state and management of rental properties.

One tenant told the meeting that “renters feel like second-class citizens”.

Another claimed to have been evicted from a mouldy house with a seven-month-old baby so that the landlord could make more money by letting out the rooms separately.

A third complained that their letting agent had sold their tenancy to another agency.

Stephenson said his agency does not charge tenancy fees. He said: “We view the fees imposed by letting agents on tenants as extortionate and ridiculous.

“I would love to see us move toward the European model and give tenants more security … we need national regulation.”

Hunt also said there should more regulation, and said that all estate agents and letting agents should be required to gain professional qualifications.

On Twitter, both Piper Property and Besley Hill were congratulated for being at the meeting to “explain themselves”.

ACORN has a petition which aims to attract 1,000 signatures, calling on letting agents to drop their “rip-off” fees.