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Shelter is claiming that 17,000 tenants called its helpline during 2014, to report abuse at the hands of their private landlord. The housing charity says tenants alleged they had been harassed, threatened and assaulted, had their utilities cut off, and seen their possessions burned.
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The other main reason for calls to the charity’s helpline was deposit disputes.
The charity believes an estimated 125,000 tenants have suffered abuse. One of their example cases was a tenant in London, whose rental property was seriously damp from day one of the tenancy. The landlord refused to fix the problem and eventually became aggressive. Another tenant described how his landlord served an eviction notice five days before Christmas, and has since demanded an extra month’s rent.
Rogue Landlords
Shelter admits that the majority of tenants have no problems with their landlords, but those living under the roof of a property owned by a rogue landlord are particularly vulnerable.
“Some of their experiences are truly awful – from renters who have been illegally evicted and had their belongings burned, to those who have had their utilities cut off because their landlord wants to intimidate them,” says Mark Cook, Shelter’s helpline advisor.
“No one should have to put up with a landlord who breaks the law and it is so important to know your rights as a renter.”
Ban on Rogue Landlords
The government is currently consulting on new proposals in a bid to ban rogue landlords from the private rental market.
