Increase in rent affects majority of private renters, according to poll results
Rising Rents Pose Challenge for Private Renters, Says Generation Rent Survey
Private renters in the UK are facing a challenging rental market, according to a survey by the housing campaign group Generation Rent. The online survey, conducted in June and July with 1,021 supporters who rent from private landlords, revealed that a significant number of renters have experienced rent increases in the past year.
The survey found that 60% of private renters have faced a rent increase, a figure that has been steadily rising from 45% 12 months ago and 50% in November. The most common reason for these increases is higher market rents, reported by 17% of private renters, slightly up from 16% in November.
Cost of living/inflation was also a factor in the rent increases, affecting 11% of private renters compared with 7% in November. Interestingly, the number of tenants who reported their landlord had passed on rising interest rates has tripled since November, from 4% to 12% of private renters.
The survey also highlighted that one in five private renters were told to move out in the past 12 months, an increase from 14% in November. Moreover, 20% of private renters faced with a rent increase were asked to pay more than £100 more per month, with this figure up from 12% in November.
The overall evictions figure includes 12% who have been served a no-fault Section 21 eviction notice, up from 9% in November. Generation Rent suggested that the government should introduce measures to encourage landlords who need to sell to do so with sitting tenants.
Ben Twomey, chief executive of Generation Rent, stated that a renting crisis is forcing tenants to bear the worst of the economic turmoil. He called for government action to prevent unaffordable rent increases, protect tenants in their homes if their landlord needs to sell, raise housing support for tenants relying on benefits, and increase building, particularly of social housing.
Generation Rent also urged the government to relink Local Housing Allowance with market rents to improve affordability. Furthermore, they called on the government to abolish Section 21 evictions and make it easier to challenge rent rises through the Renters Reform Bill.
Interest rates are less of a factor in setting rents than wider market forces, according to Generation Rent's analysis. They also encouraged the government to do more to build homes in the places people want to live.
Generation Rent's analysis estimates that 14% of private tenancies are vulnerable to unsustainable increases in mortgage rates, equivalent to around 800,000 households. The campaign group emphasized the need for urgent action to address the rising rents and protect private renters from the economic hardships.
