Recent polling for the New Economics Foundations (NEF) has exposed deep-rooted issues within England’s private rental sector.
The survey of 1,001 people across England indicates a significant number of renters are paying more than the advertised rates for properties.
Among those who moved in the last year, 39% are paying above the listed rent, with the median extra amount being £100 per month, or 12%. On average, this overpayment stands at £190 monthly.
In addition to inflated rental payments, the survey also found that 45% of new private renters had to pay over a month’s rent upfront as a security measure.
Furthermore, 21% have experienced rent increases mid-tenancy without their consent, and 38% are living in properties with issues like damp or mould.
Other challenges include 17% being charged for property viewings and 19% asked to provide their CVs during the rental process.
Alex Diner, a senior researcher at NEF, commented on the findings: “Everybody deserves to be able to afford a safe, secure and warm place to live, but this data shows just how difficult it can be for many people to find somewhere to call home.
“The lack of affordable housing across the country forces people to enter into bidding wars, which end up meaning the rent they pay goes through the roof.
“And all too often, the properties they end up living in are cold and damp, with landlords who are not always willing to help.
“Not only must the Government stop backsliding on its commitment to reform the private rental sector, it also has an opportunity to make a real difference here. In the short term, ministers must take action to ban these bidding wars.
“In the long term, building a new generation of high-quality, genuinely affordable social homes would ease the pressures on the housing market and provide people across the country with somewhere to live, rest and flourish.”
