- Inspired by her family’s experience with poor housing conditions and tenancy disputes, Elizabeth Osunsanwo launched StreetLens to give renters better access to support and information.
- With a background in software engineering and international relations, as well as a strong personal drive, Elizabeth combines technical expertise with a strong understanding of regulation and public policy.
- Through StreetLens, she helps UK renters report housing issues, understand their rights and connect with the right local authorities.
- As a solo founder, Elizabeth built the entire platform herself, from the underlying infrastructure to its tenant rights guidance tools.
Tell Me About Yourself and StreetLens
I’m Elizabeth Osunsanwo, a full-stack engineer based in London with an MSc in International Relations from the University of Bristol. My background in governance and digital regulatory frameworks shapes how I build with a security-by-design mindset and a focus on systems that serve people, not just users.
StreetLens is a free civic tech platform for UK renters to report rent abuse and neighbourhood issues, get instant legal rights feedback under the Renters’ Rights Act 2025/2026, and find the right local authority contact, all in one place. It’s built on the PERN stack and is fully live.
What Inspired You To Start StreetLens, and What Problem Were You Trying To Solve?
The inspiration was personal. My family once lived in a property with serious damp and mould issues. We complained to the agency repeatedly and were ignored. When we finally decided to leave, we nearly lost our deposit too. That experience stayed with me.
As I got into tech, I kept noticing that proptech is almost entirely built for landlords and letting agents: property management software, tenant screening tools, and rent collection platforms. Renters are technically excluded. StreetLens came from that gap: a platform where the person who actually lives in the property finally has a structured tool on their side.
What Has Been Your Biggest Challenge So Far, and How Did You Overcome It?
The biggest challenge was building something technically complex entirely solo: frontend, backend, database, email infrastructure, and legal content mapping, all while making sure it was actually useful and accurate. The tenant rights engine was particularly difficult because it required mapping real renter situations to specific legislation correctly.
I overcame it by going directly to the source, reading the Renters’ Rights Act itself, not summaries of it, and building iteratively, testing each feature thoroughly before moving on. Having a clear problem to solve kept me focused when the scope felt overwhelming.
More from Startups
Can You Describe a Pivotal Moment That Significantly Shaped the Direction of StreetLens?
The pivotal moment was when the Renters’ Rights Act received Royal Assent and Section 21 was formally abolished in May 2026. I had been building StreetLens as a general reporting tool, but that moment made me realise the platform needed to be more than a complaint form. It needed to actively educate renters about their new rights in real time.
That’s when I built the tenant rights feedback engine, which became the most distinctive part of the product. The legislation gave StreetLens a clear, timely purpose it might not have had otherwise.
How Do You Define Success?
For your business: For the business, success means StreetLens becoming a go-to resource for UK renters, a place people instinctively turn to when something goes wrong with their tenancy, the same way they’d Google a symptom before calling a doctor. Even if it helps a few hundred people navigate a difficult situation correctly, that’s meaningful impact.
As a founder: For me personally, success as a founder means proving that you can build something real and useful entirely on your own: no team, no funding, no shortcuts. StreetLens is evidence that a solo developer with a clear problem can ship something that genuinely matters.
What Advice Would You Give To Someone Thinking About Launching Their Own Startup?
Start with the problem, not the technology. I see a lot of developers reaching for tools before they’ve clearly defined what they’re actually solving. The clearer your problem, the faster you build and the easier it is to explain to anyone.
Also, ship earlier than you feel comfortable. StreetLens went live before I felt it was ready, and that was the right call; real users expose things no amount of internal testing can. Finally, don’t wait for permission or validation. Build it, put it online, and let people tell you if it’s useful.
What’s Next for StreetLens? Any Exciting Developments We Should Watch Out For?
The immediate priority is growing the user base through community outreach, connecting with tenant advocacy groups, housing charities like Shelter UK, and local council partners. On the product side, I’m working on area-level reporting dashboards so communities can see patterns of issues in their neighbourhood over time, not just individual reports.
Longer term, I’d like to explore partnerships with local authorities to make StreetLens an official reporting channel rather than a parallel one. The Renters’ Rights Act has created a new landscape for tenants. StreetLens wants to be the platform that helps them navigate it.
Want to be featured as TechRound’s Founder of the Week? Find out more about this weekly feature and how to get involved here.
Founder’s 5 with Elizabeth Osunsanwo
We wanted to know a bit more about the man behind StreetLens, so we’ve put together the exclusive Founders’ 5 with Elizabeth Osunsanwo.
Favourite business tool
VS Code.
One lesson you learned the hard way?
Documentation is not optional, even for solo projects. Future you will thank past you.
One future trend you’re watching?
AI-assisted legal guidance for people who can’t afford solicitors.
One quote you live by
“Done is better than perfect.” – Sheryl Sandberg.
One book/podcast you recommend
“The Lean Startup” by Eric Ries.
Want to be featured as TechRound’s Founder of the Week? Know someone who deserves to be recognised as a founder making waves in the startup landscape? Find out more about this weekly feature and how to get involved here.
