"The Government’s plans to reform the rental market, including developing a decent homes standard for private rented housing, need to ensure tenants feel confident to speak out where their homes meet all required standards"
- Dr Jennifer Harris - TDS Group
Research carried out by the TDS Foundation, which included a survey of over 2,000 private renters, found that whilst 40% of tenants did not have any problem with the quality of their rented home in the past six months, 60% encountered one or more problems.
The top five problems experienced by those who encountered problems included leaks or problems with plumbing (21%), difficulties keeping their home warm (20%), repairs not being carried out (18%), serious problems with damp or mould (16%) and outside doors, walls, roofs or windows needing repair (16%).
Of this group, 85% reported the problems they had with their property to their landlord or letting agent, with 78% saying the issue was either fully or partially addressed.
The minority of tenants who did not report the issues to their landlord or letting agent said this was due to a perceived ineffectiveness of reporting (30%), the hassle involved (27%), fears about not being seen as a “good tenant” (23%) and concerns about potential rent increases (22%).
Dr Jennifer Harris, Head of Policy and Research at TDS Group said: “Whilst a large proportion of tenants are experiencing problems with the condition of their property, they are being addressed by landlords in a majority of cases when they are reported.
“That said, it is worrying that over one in ten tenants who had problems with their homes did not feel confident reporting it.
“The Government’s plans to reform the rental market, including developing a decent homes standard for private rented housing, need to ensure tenants feel confident to speak out where their homes meet all required standards. The TDS Foundation will continue to work to ensure tenants fully understand and make use of their rights when calling out the minority of landlords failing to tackle poor quality housing.”
