Half of renters are living in cold, damp homes – Citizens Advice

Half of renters are living in cold, damp homes – Citizens Advice

0:02 AM, 24th July 2024, About 5 hours ago

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Nearly half of private renters in England are enduring freezing, damp or mouldy homes, Citizens Advice has warned.

And, the charity claims, half of these tenants have endured these conditions for over a year.

It also says there has been a surge in eviction cases and it is helping nearly 100 people every day who are facing Section 21 ‘no-fault’ evictions.

The government is now being urged to end Section 21 and force landlords to improve energy efficiency in their properties.

‘Should be a fundamental right’

The chief executive of Citizens Advice, Dame Clare Moriarty, said: “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.”

She added: “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.”

Generational decline in living standards

Citizens Advice says the crisis is exacerbating a generational decline in living standards in the private rented sector.

It says that renters on low incomes are projected to spend 53% of their earnings on housing and energy this year.

That figure dwarfs the 46% for social housing tenants and 40% for homeowners.

The organisation also claims that a third of private renters have resorted to borrowing to cover rent.

And 17% choose not to use the heating, hot water or electricity.

Third of renters who have experienced damp

However, the research also reveals that a third of renters who have experienced damp, cold or mould haven’t complained to landlords, fearing eviction or rent rises.

Citizens Advice is now demanding reform of the PRS and is urging the government to address affordability, disrepair and security issues.

This includes permanently linking financial support for renters to real rent prices, implementing a watertight ban on Section 21 evictions, and requiring landlords to improve energy efficiency to a minimum EPC rating of ‘C’.


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