TDS Charitable Foundation’s latest Voice of the Tenant survey has highlighted the problems faced by tenants living in bedsits in England. Whilst only 1% of tenants rent bedsits, they are significantly more likely to face a range of serious housing issues. The English Housing Survey shows that that there are approximately 4.6 million households renting privately in England.
The problems start with finding suitable accommodation, as 92% of tenants in bedsits reported facing challenges in their property search, compared to 52% of private renters overall. Moreover, 36% of tenants in bedsits struggled to afford a deposit for their new property.
Having found accommodation, 21% of tenants in bedsits report that the property is in poor condition, with 10% saying the condition is extremely poor – compared to 2% of renters living in houses or flats. And, indeed, the survey showed that over one-third of landlords renting out bedsits are not carrying out repairs.
The Voice of the Tenant survey found that those residing in bedsits are also more likely to face problems affording their rent, with 40% currently in rent arrears, compared to 14% of all tenants. In regard to security, 44% of those living in bedsits stated that they fear potential eviction from their property.
Overall, these findings suggest that more attention should be paid to the major challenges faced by tenants living in bedsits, with research on this topic currently lacking.