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England

60% of London renters forced to live with unacceptable conditions, including vermin-infested, damp or dangerous homes

Posted 03 Feb 2016

60% of renters in the capital – equivalent to 1.5 million Londoners - have experienced problems in their rented homes in the past year, according to new research by housing
charity Shelter.

The Shelter and YouGov poll of private renters exposed the poor conditions some Londoners have been forced to endure in the last year, with the most common problems including:

  • Damp or mould (39% of renters)

  • Poor insulation or excess cold (26%)

  • Animal infestations such as mice and cockroaches (25%)

Even more worryingly, some Londoners are being put in danger as result of the unsafe conditions in their rented home. 14% of renters had experienced a problem with electrical hazards, while 1 in 6 lived in a home which is poorly secured.

With the average Londoner paying out a staggering 59% of their income on rent, and thousands of Londoners coming to Shelter for advice on renting problems, it's clear that something needs to be done to improve renting in the capital.

Shelter is urging the new Mayor of London to ask for more power to fix private renting, and calling for the introduction of London-wide licensing to protect Londoners from being exploited by rogue landlords.

Campbell Robb, Shelter's chief executive said: "Every day at Shelter we hear from London renters who are dealing with appalling conditions and, shockingly, most are paying extortionate rents for the privilege."We should all have a place to call home – somewhere warm, safe and secure, but for more than a million Londoners, home is cold, damp and often downright dangerous."It's about time London's 2.5 million renters were given a better deal. Renting in the capital doesn't have to be like this, and the Mayoral candidates need to show that they will take action to protect people from unsafe conditions."

Case Study: 63 year old Claire has been living with chronic damp and mould since July 2015, which has a huge impact on her health and quality of life:

"I've got cataracts in both eyes which desperately need to be treated but my doctor is concerned that if he operates, the damp and mould in my home will put my eyes at massive risk of infection and ultimately, an infection could cost me my eyesight."These horrendous conditions are not just affecting my health. I'm also studying for a qualification to turn my passion for baking into a business, but with my sight getting so bad that I've had to put this on hold. Essentially I've had to put my whole life on hold."

Notes to editors:

  • Anyone having problems with their landlord can get free and independent expert advice from Shelter at shelter.org.uk/advice or by calling the helpline on 0808 800 4444.

  • All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 4,900 adults renting privately in Great Britain, 739 in London. Fieldwork was undertaken between 13th June and 22nd July 2015. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted to representative of all private renters in GB (aged 18+).

  • Respondents were asked if they had experienced any of the following: Problems with damp / Problems with a leaking roof or windows / Having electrical hazards (e.g. problems with fuses, wiring or sockets) / Poor insulation/ excess cold / Problems with mould / Problem with animal infestations (e.g. mice, ants, cockroaches) / Poorly secured or unsafe locks and doors / A gas leak / A problem which may/ can cause falls (e.g. uneven floors, gaps in floor boards or stairs) / A fire in my home caused by poor conditions. Results are based on those saying 'yes, in the last year'. A full table of results is available upon request.

  • The estimate of 1.5 million London renters affected is based on 60% of the 2.5 million private renters in London, calculated from English Housing Survey, 2013/14 (for London PRS household size), and 2014/15 (for number of households in London PRS), DCLG. This figure includes renters of all ages, adults and children.

  • Government statistics on the condition of private rented homes are from English Housing Survey 2013/14, DCLG. These show 16.5% of private rented homes fail the Governments minimum standard under the Housing Health and Safety Rating system.

  • London renters paying 59% of income on rent is from English Housing Survey Annex table 2.3 2013/14, it relates to gross household income and household rent.

  • The number of Londoners coming to Shelter for advice on renting issues are from our client and website databases and cover the year 2015.

Table to show percentage of private renters in London that have experienced each of the following bad conditions in the past year

Problems with damp31%
Problems with a leaking roof or windows18%
Having electrical hazards (e.g. problems with fuses, wiring or sockets)14%
Poor insulation/ excess cold26%
Problems with mould33%
Problem with animal infestations (e.g. mice, ants, cockroaches)25%
Poorly secured or unsafe locks and doors15%
A gas leak3%
A problem which may/ can cause falls (e.g. uneven floors, gaps in floor boards or stairs)14%
A fire in my home caused by poor conditions1%