Shelter claims that private renters who complained to their landlord, letting agent or local council in the last three years were two and a half times more likely to be handed an eviction notice than those who had not complained.
The charity paints a picture of desparation in the private rental sector claiming that “millions of tenants are trapped in a ‘catch-22’ situation whereby they either put up with poor conditions.”
And it says that 25 per cent of private renters have not asked their landlord for repairs to be carried out or conditions improved “for fear of being evicted.”
The campaigning charity goes on to say that 76 per cent of private renters in England “have experienced disrepair in their home” while 51 per cent had issues with damp and mould; 31 per cent had issues with lack of hot water or heating; and 18 per cent had electrical hazards or issues with essential safety equipment in their homes, like smoke or carbon monoxide alarms.
Chief executive Polly Neate says: "By dragging its heels on the Renters Reform Bill, the government has left private renters in a terrible catch 22 – they either shut up and put up with disrepair, or risk more than doubling their chances of eviction in a cost of living crisis.
“Day in day out Shelter hears from people who are forking out huge sums on rent while living in nightmarish conditions because private renting is woefully under-regulated. It is a travesty that so many private renters are too afraid to complain about the mould growing all over their kids’ clothes, or the water pouring in through broken window frames, in case it costs them their home.
“Renters are bearing the brunt of government dithering over urgently needed private rental reforms. Renters can’t wait any longer, the government must urgently make its Renters’ Reform Bill law to protect tenants who call out poor conditions from unfair evictions and homelessness.“
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But the Renters Reform Bill does not protect the landlords. It exposes them to a load of unnecessary trouble.
There is no proper evidence for what Shelter claims at all.
It is possible that Landlords with properties that develop the need for an extensive repair might be more likely to ask tenants to leave because it is not easy to carry out considerable work while tenants are still living there. Obviously, if repairs can be carried out with tenants in residence then that is much better for the Landlord because they don't lose the rent under those circumstances.
The private rental sector is already highly regulated, so highly regulated that it is a factor in many landlords choosing to leave.
However, the biggest factor in landlords choosing to leave is the loss of control of their property if Section 21 is abolished. It is not fair - or right - to assume that all tenants are angels and all landlords are villains. It is, in fact, probably the case that the vast majority of landlords are hard working and conscientious which is why they were able to acquire the properties in the first place.
Well said Ellie.
One of the biggest reasons for me going. It’s my house and I control it. The government sold off there’s. Not they want control of ours without he hassle of ownership.
I’m not doing major works with tenants in occupation.
Labour are coming so rent caps and evictions bans are coming. As well as making rent optional according to Lisa Nandy Pandy.
Absolutely right, Nick. The aim is to make privately owned houses part of the social housing sector because the council flats were sold off.
Obviously private landlords will resist that, probably, in the main, by selling their properties.
The correct course of action for any Government is to restore council housing by building it - not by taking over property which does not belong to them. They should, in the main, not interfere with the private rental sector. If they ceased interfering, supply would increase, rents would fall and property standards would rise automatically.
I have a number of properties because since I got divorced I worked very hard and saved every penny i have to better myself and the lives of others (my ex only cared about herself and dragged me down). I gave up what most people would take for granted like privacy and nice things, and invested and reinvested any money I made.
These days I consider renting to be a hostile environment. Although somehow I still don't want to sell yet, I won't rent to anybody I don't have complete confidence in to pay the rent and behave in a reasonable manner. So credit checks, references, 3 months'bank statements, employment contract if appropriate, conversations to get a good feel for the tenant, all before they have a chance of getting through the door.
Ellie, Sorry to raise Councils also have the boat people to house. That over 40,000 arriving per year. Raab is talking about using barges at the moment. Although doesn't know how many they have :)) So they are really desperate already.
Polly Neate is deliberately ignoring the fact that revenge evictions were outlawed in 2015 by the Deregulation Act
Everything Shelter et al does reduces availability in the PRS yet the way to drive standards up & rents down is to INCREASE availability. Whatever the tenant groups think, the private LL is an important part of the rental landscape & until we build large numbers of good quality, true affordable housing it will remain so.
Personally I have sold 3 properties with another one going on the market soon. The reality is that good LLs with decent properties are leaving the sector leaving the rogue LLs free rein.
Spot on Tricia!
Shelter is the biggest single cause of homelessness continuously attacking Private landlords never ending for years now.
Why does someone have the ear of Government who don’t supply any housing and worse than that they have Charity Status while we pay Billions of £’s and house 9 million, yet we are frowned upon and enemy No.1.
It was they who took away our Deposits in 2007 based on a pack of lies when they alleged landlords withheld up to 45% of Deposits, it later turned out less than 2% went to Deposit Resolution. Basically we now have a scheme protecting the Deposit and nothing protecting the property that it was for, loads of schemes have mushroomed on the back of this costing Tenants fortunes, one example is they pay extra an week at the start and that’s it, usual inventory, check-in, check-out but the upfront week is washed away can easily be £600/700 in London they never suffered like this before Shelter’s interference.
Shelter’s Private Member’s Bill with Sarah Tether MP failed.
Immediately they wet back on with the 2015 De-Regulation Act.
Now in affect they have
Abolished the 1988 Housing Act by removing Section 21 the main part notwithstanding they have being nibbling away at it weakening it for years.
The truth is we didn’t want to evict anyone unnecessarily, our customers and friends just sorry the day they left.
Incidentally Ireland have now removed their eviction ban because it increased homelessness no end the chicks came home to roost, landlords got out and no one would invest total disaster, we can all sit on our hands here too and complain about everyone else very simple.
I notice damp and mould was mentioned, this is normally caused by the tenant, it is damage to a landlord's property caused by the tenant, therefore grounds for eviction.
Shelter were one of the organisations yelling about how they wanted retaliatory evictions banned. So the govt gave them legislation to prevent it. They celebrated. Now they claim tenants get retaliatory evictions when they complain. It’s almost like there’s no pleasing some people - or that the legislation these people say they want never works so perhaps we should continue to ridicule their endless demands?
I notice they talk about tenants DEMANDING repairs.
Anyone demanding I do anything is likely to get into a serious Glasgow argument!
I respond quite well to requests but the only demand I obey is the Council Tax Demand Notice. Why isn't it called a Request for Payment anyway?
I totally agree Robert, no one but no one DEMANDS anything of me, and that includes the wife, I will bend over backwards to help a tenant, this morning I fitted a new florescent light fitting for a commercial tenant, the lady supplied the fitting, bribed me with a cake and asked nicely, job done.
WHY do we tolerate this vicious hate propaganda day after day ,these evil hate gangs spew out their hate filth relentlessly persecuting home providers and their children, the mental trauma suffered by defenceless children who are the innocent victims of this torrent of never ending hate crime can not be overestimated many will suffer the effects of this abuse for the rest of their lives if the discrimination and injustice suffered by yourself is not enough to convince you to get rid of all your property immediately the fact that we have a government that is prepared to look the other way while children suffer abuse and hate propaganda at the hand of these gangs in pursuit of their political agenda should convince you
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