Newly released figures have revealed that England faces an enormous bill to repair inadequate rented homes and bring them up to standard – with 23% of privately rented homes and 12% of socially-rented homes currently falling below.
According to analysis of the English Housing Survey by claims management firm, Veriwise, key parts of many properties “need replacing or major repair” because of their condition, or that the homes feature major hazards such as damp and mould growth, excess carbon monoxide, poor sanitation and dangerous electrics.
The official research reports that an average of £7912 is needed to bring these homes up to standards – rising to an average of £10,569 in the North West – equating to a bill of £8bn for repairing England’s inadequate rented homes.
The news comes as an elderly couple alleged that their landlord had evicted them from their Cornwall home after claiming not to be able to afford repairs to the property. Lorraine and Mark Forbes of Hayle stated that water damage to their home had left them without a kitchen floor for four months.
The couple’s bungalow also suffered from broken central heating, an infestation of gnats and a damaged bedroom window.
Mrs Forbes told Cornwall Live: “Our landlord said he couldn’t afford to sort it.”
The couple claim that they were evicted after making complaints about the condition of the property.
Ajay Jagota, founder of specialist claims management firm Veriwise, commented: “It is a needless national scandal that so many renters in England and the rest of the United Kingdom are putting up with their landlord not fixing things.
“Up and down the country there are renters asking questions like ‘how long can my landlord leave me without a toilet?’ and ‘how long does a landlord have to fix electricity?’ – or in this case ‘how long do I have to put up with having no kitchen floor?’
“It is not good enough for landlords to claim that they can’t afford these repairs – they have a legal responsibility to carry them out. Veriwise was set up to support renters who lack the resources or legal skills to enforce these responsibilities and even pursue claims for compensation.
“If you don’t know what to do if your landlord doesn’t fix things, Veriwise is there for you.”
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