More than half of all tenants in London and the South-East say they have experienced problems with their landlords such as failing to carry out repairs on their homes.
Having to deal with “bad landlords” is the biggest bugbear of tenants, beating exorbitant agent fees and rent increases, according to a survey.
It also found that almost 40 per cent of members of “Generation Rent” have to view as many as five properties before finding the home of their choice because of the intense competition.
Only four per cent said they feared being kicked out of their homes, although this was the highest in Britain and twice the national average rate.
Case study: ‘2 weeks to fix leak’
Legal marketing executive Nikki-Kim Yates has rented a room in South Wimbledon since arriving from South Africa last year.
She has been appalled by the competition for even second-rate accommodation in London.
The 24-year-old, who said she paid £550 a month, said the place was run down but complaints to the landlord “fall on deaf ears”.
She said: “When we had a leak it took two weeks to sort. Landlords in London don’t have to look after their properties to the standard they should, people are so desperate they will take anything.”
London’s private rental sector has exploded in recent years as soaring property prices force the capital’s workforce to stay in rented properties far longer while saving for a deposit.
Around a quarter of Londoners now rent from private landlords but the sector is still seen as underregulated, with thousands of small-scale landlords often providing poor levels of housing.
Research by housing charity Shelter last week found almost half of families who are private tenants have had to borrow money to cover the rent.
Government figures show rents rose 19 per cent in London in the past five years, with the average for a two-bed flat now more than £1,600 a month.
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Boris Johnson launched the London Rental Standard — a form of quality “kitemark” for landlords — in 2014 but uptake is said to have been limited.
Wayne Treveil, of credit check firm Tenants Plus, which commissioned the survey, said: “It is not agents and landlords that are the main offenders here, but successive governments that do not deliver on new housing promises.
“There is an obvious need for the Government and next Mayor to prioritise more stable tenancies and commit to building the genuinely affordable homes young Londoners are desperate for.”
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