A new report has exposed widespread confusion and a lack of awareness amongst tenants about their rights if they experience poor quality housing.
The research finds that many tenants do not know where to turn to for help where problems arise with their landlord or letting agent and lack even basic knowledge of their legal rights – leaving them unable to challenge unsafe or unfair treatment.
The report, commissioned by the TDS Charitable Foundation, which works to improve education on housing rights, draws on in-depth interviews with 46 renters across England, adding to its previous annual national survey findings of over 2,000 tenants.
This found that whilst six in ten renters experienced problems with the standard or quality of their accommodation, half do not know where to go when their landlord or letting agent fails to address an issue they have reported.
It was not only tenants who were unaware of the support available. The research found that organisations such as councils, advice agencies, MPs’ offices and solicitors gave tenants incorrect or overly generic guidance, typically defaulting to local councils even when better routes existed. This misdirection wasted tenants’ time and further eroded their trust in the system.
With the Renters’ Rights Bill set to introduce the biggest set of changes to the sector in a generation, including the introduction of a new Landlord Ombudsman to protect tenants, researchers warn that legal changes alone will not be enough.
The report recommends the creation of a single, accessible source of housing advice; improved training for frontline staff; and stronger enforcement of transparency requirements for landlords and agents.
Dr Jennifer Harris, head of policy and research at TDS Group, said: “Worryingly, many of the tenants we spoke to felt they had no choice but to accept the situation or move out when they were facing challenges with their landlord or letting agent.
“Most said they found navigating the dispute resolution landscape difficult and frustrating. This is a clear sign that the current system is not working.
“If people don’t know their rights or where to go for help, the new protections included in the Renters’ Rights Bill will be meaningless.
“We urgently need clearer information, stronger advice services, and much better signposting from the organisations renters rely on.”
