Citizens Advice claims that 45% of private renters in England are currently experiencing damp, mould or excessive cold in their home, and half of them have been living with these issues for over a year.
The charity’s survey of 2,015 people also suggests that private renters are badly hit by what it calls :a generational decline in living standards” and are forced to pay skyrocketing sums despite poor housing conditions.
Private renters on a low income are expected to spend 53% of their income on energy and housing costs this year, according to the charity’s analysis. That’s compared with 46% of those living in social housing and 40% for those who own their homes.
The charity claims this is “pushing private renters to breaking point” with a third of renters in England having to borrow money to cover their rent, and 17% going without heating, hot water, or electricity to do so.
The charity also claims that “renters live with the constant threat of losing their home … [and] running the risk of receiving a retaliatory eviction when they do speak up.”
It claims to handle almost 100 people a day with Section 21 evictions.
The charity wants the new government to permanently link financial support for renters to real rent prices by matching Local Housing Allowance to the cheapest 30% of rents in an area; to bring in “strong legislation, as promised” including a watertight ban of Section 21 evictions” and to insist that landlords improve the energy efficiency of their properties by bringing them up to a minimum of EPC C.
Dame Clare Moriarty, chief executive of Citizens Advice, says: "A warm, safe home, free of damp and mould should be a fundamental right. 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.
“To make matters worse, renters have little power and live with the constant threat of eviction hanging over their heads.
"The government must follow through on its promises and improve the lives of private renters. This means raising the quality of privately rented housing, tackling runaway rents, and bringing in a watertight ban of section 21 evictions so renters aren’t afraid to challenge poor conditions."
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Two words to Citizens (Landlords excluded) Advice: PROVE IT.
Easy to make unsubstantiated claims when the vast majority in a recent INDEPENDENT survey are happy with their private rented accommodation. Of course, happy tenants do not swell the coffers, do they?🤔
Lets us just look at one case AND THE FACTS !!!! where tenant complained about cold , damp and mould affecting their health and that of their two children..Professional survey report concluded IT IS CONSIDERED THAT CONDENSATION AND MOULD ARE OCCURING AS A RESULT OF OVERCROWDING ,POOR USE OF VENTILATION EQUIPTEMNT AND POOR ENVIROMENTAL CONDITIONS BEING KEPT BY THE TENANTS.. it also mentioned there were two adults two children plus several terrariums and fish tanks (note the plural)
It also mentioned about tenant damage One adult was smoking in the studio flat while the survey took place with the two small children there . It also concluded There is no leaks from the bathroom kitchen or external walls . The report is detailed . E.P.C is a C . In addition the tenants obtained a debt relief order writing off some £4,500 .00 of unpaid rent . They obtained legal Aid and the case is due in Court in August. Your taxes are paying for a totally unjustified claim by the tenants
John Pettman
Couldn’t say it any better. That’s an every day occurrence in my world. You did forget to note that the tenant/s have been to the doctors and it has affected their health. I sometimes wonder if doctors also have a list of no win no fee lawyers to pass on?
I had one recently complaining about black mould, I popped over & they turned the extractor off to save electric. (It cost me £300 to redecorate).
Ive now bypassed the on/off switch, so they can no longer turn off. I've also supplied a document how much electric it uses (minimal) & other key areas to actually save electric.
I have quite a few examples of tenants complaining about damp & mould:
1. !st floor flat - tenants were both drying wetsuits in the flat & refused to open windows or hang the wet suits outside!
2. Students who all dry clothes in their rooms & don’t open windows ever because it’s too cold even in summer!!
3. Huge ground floor flat - tenants using a tumble dry in one of the bedrooms without hanging the exhaust pipe out of the window!!!
4. September deputation of student parents threatening legal action about damp & mould - modern ex council house with 5 bedrooms & 2 bathrooms - my investigations revealed that both automatic bathroom extractor fans were turned off to save electricity; all 5 bedrooms had clothes airers; they never used the washing line in the garden because it might rain; they never used the tumble dryer to save electricity; they never opened windows because its too cold (this was around the end of September!
The 3 lots of parents present looked a little sheepish by the end of our meeting, even the strident mother who was screaming at me at one point!
At the commencement of every tenancy serve them the leaflet produced by your local authority regarding preventing mould. Then at the beginning of Autumn serve on them another reminder copy. We are told we should not criticize the tenants regarding this matter but encourage and educate them
John Pettman
I had a complaint about mould when I investigated the tenants had put an inflatable bed against both outside walls with no windows opened. What chance do we stand ?
And yet the latest English Housing Survey, which surveyed nearly 4 times the amount of people, has established that 82% are happy in their home. Surely, CAB, by their very nature, would be surveying people facing issues and, therefore, the results are bound to be tainted by the pool of recipients meaning they grossly misrepresent true market- unles they engaged an independent data analyst to conduct and true cross section of the PRS. This inaccurate and unjustified 'shaming' of the PRS is why we keep being confronted with ill-thought-out and poorly conceived legislation to tackle these supposed issues.
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