Thousands of Tenants left without heating

One in ten homeowners had virtually no heating this winter according to a study revealed by Help Link who were exploring the UK rental market. At least one in five tenants described their renting conditions as “nightmarish”, as they are suffering with mould, damp and constant water leaks, this is alongside bad communication as well.

Unsafe Homes

Citizens Advice revealed that last year landlords were cashing in £5.6 billion in rent payments for houses that were deemed unsafe. This meant that the houses did not meet the legal requirements laid out by the Housing Health and Safety Rating System.

These houses included severe damp, rat infestations and even a risk of an explosion, over 740,000 houses presented a severe threat to the tenant’s health. A study revealed that damp is the biggest issue with at least 41% of people living with it.

It is even more worrying the fact that families with young children are living in these conditions and 23% of parents have said that they have tried to leave their accommodation but can’t as they are tied to a contractual agreement.

Landlord negligence

It was revealed that this winter 34% of homeowners had mould in their home and one in ten don’t have any access to functional heating. After they raised these issues to their landlord, it took on average up to seven and a half weeks for them to fix the problem.

Mr Shamplina states, “The colder months present a series of significant risks to rental properties, particularly relating to heating systems. One of the common complaints we have found in the past is that some tenants make it difficult for landlords to visit the property. However, regular inspections are imperative to check pipes for breaks, leaks and blockages, bleed radiators and arrange routine boiler checks.”