New data has revealed that nearly half of private renters in England are currently living in homes that are cold, damp, or mouldy, regardless of the season. The figures, gathered by Citizens Advice, show that 45% of private renters are currently experiencing these issues, with 48% reporting that they have been living with these problems for over a year.
The survey also found that private renters on low wages are expected to spend 53% of their income on energy and housing costs this year. In comparison, those living in social housing are expected to spend 46% of their income, while homeowners are expected to spend 40%. This highlights a significant disparity between the living conditions and financial burdens of different housing situations.
Dame Clare Moriarty, the chief executive of Citizens Advice, expressed concern over the state of private rental housing in England. “A warm, safe home, free of damp and mould, should be a fundamental right,” she stated. “Yet private renters are paying through the roof for increasingly decrepit housing which eats up their hard-earned cash and puts their health at risk.”
The survey also revealed that the lack of protection and security for tenants in the private rental sector has exacerbated the issue of unaffordability and poor quality housing. Citizens Advice reported that they are currently assisting almost 100 people a day with section 21 “no-fault” evictions.
Dame Clare emphasized the need for the government to follow through on its promises to improve the lives of private renters. “This means raising the quality of privately rented housing, tackling runaway rents, and bringing in a watertight ban on section 21 evictions so renters aren’t afraid to challenge poor conditions,” she stated.
In response to these issues, the King’s Speech last week included a promise from Labour to “take action where the previous government has failed” on protections for renters, including ending no-fault evictions.
Meanwhile, property website Rightmove has reported that the average rent being asked outside of London has reached a new record of £1,314 per month. This is an increase from the average monthly advertised rent of £1,231 a year ago. In London, the average monthly rent has also risen to a record of £2,661, up from £2,567 a year earlier.
Although overall rental supply has slowly improved since last year, Rightmove notes that the number of available properties is still below pre-pandemic levels. Their latest rental figures cover the second quarter of 2021.
