Rogue landlords are nothing new. However, with a rise of 40% in
the last five years in the number of people renting privately, it's
perhaps no surprise that complaints have increased too.
Shelter in England has launched an online petition to try
to get local councils to sign up to a minimum standard
accreditation scheme to help better protect private tenants.
The increase in complaints about rogue landlords has jumped by a
staggering 23% in the last year alone. So what are the most common
complaints tenants are making?
Poor state of repair and dampness
The standard of living conditions saw the biggest jump in
complaints - up by 42%. This includes things such as dampness in
the property which can of course be hazardous to health and the
general state of repair.
Harassment
Another common problem reported by tenants was being harassed by
rogue landlords. Complaints of this nature rose by nearly a quarter
at 24% which is another worrying statistic.
Sudden rise in rent payments
Another unscrupulous act many rogue landlords are prone to is
suddenly increasing the rent of their tenant without notice or any
good reason.
Complaints about unfair and unexpected rises in rent rose by
nearly a fifth in the last year and saw a 19% jump.
Why have tenant complaints seen such a big rise?
The rental sector has prospered as a direct result of the house
buying market hitting a significant low.
A combination of factors such as mortgage
availability, the large deposits required
by first-time buyers and high unemployment rates
has caused the private rental market to boom.
With 3.4 million households renting privately in England alone
(a 40% rise on five years ago), it's clear that many rogue
landlords have jumped on the bandwagon as demand has increased.
Rogue landlords have a lot to answer for
It's not just private tenants who suffer as the hands of rogue
landlords. These people also help give all landlords a bad
reputation by renting out properties riddled with damp, in
a bad state of general repair and hiking monthly rentals on a
whim.
There is another side to the story too. Not all tenants are
respectful of the properties they're in and pay their monthly rent
on time.
Sign up to our online tenant
referencing service now to make sure that as a responsible UK
landlord, you find the right tenants for your property every
time.
