"2022 has been an extremely tough year for renters"
45% of complaints from renters received by Veriwise this year related to the condition of properties – with 25% of complaints relating to damp and mould alone.
26% of complaints from the East Midlands received by the organisation, which takes on property disrepair claims for tenants who lack the resources to pursue them themselves, related to damp andmould. East of England saw the second highest proportion of damp and mould complaints (24%).
Outside of London – the source of 33% of landlord and letting agent complaints received by Veriwise - the North West is the UK’s overall tenant complaint hotspot with 13% of requests for help to Veriwise received from the region. The Midlands (12%) was the source of the second highest proportion of complaints.
Analysis of the figures also indicate that the highest percentage of calls relating to vermin and pests came from the West Midlands, while the North East has the biggest problem with deposit disputes. The East of England tops the list for illegal eviction complaints, while London renters had more legal issues with the behaviour of their landlord or letting agent than anywhere else.
Veriwise founder Ajay Jagota said:
“2022 has been an extremely tough year for renters, with rents rapidly rising while standards of housing appear to be continuing to decline.
“It is interesting to see, however, that some issues seem to be particularly prevalent in certain areas. On the basis of our figures, London renters seem to be having a lot of legal issues with the behaviour of their landlords and letting agents, while renters in places like the Midlands and North West have the biggest problems with the condition of their homes themselves.
“Whatever the issue, it’s clear from these figures that too many renters have to endure unsafe and unsanitary housing or landlords unwilling to meet their legal obligations every day – and organisations like Veriwise are here to empower renters to provide access to justice”.
