Private renters suffer from 'law-breaking landlords'

Private renters are being urged to learn their rights as a report estimates more than a million are suffering at the hands of landlords who have broken the law.

A study by the housing charity Shelter said 7.5% of tenants questioned claimed landlords were entering accommodation without permission.

Its survey pointed to anger over deposits not being properly protected, while other common gripes included utilities being cut off without permission, abuse and threatening behaviour.

It also identified racial and other forms of discrimination alongside more isolated cases relating to physical harm, including once incident that required police action after a replica gun was held to her head.

Shelter said its survey showed clear problems with a minority of landlords in England while a group representing the property owners insisted they were often victims too.

"Rogue landlords are causing misery to the lives of renters by committing these civil and criminal offences," Shelter said.

The charity's helpline adviser, Danielle Goodwin, added: "Every day at Shelter we speak to people at the end of their tether after a law-breaking landlord has caused chaos in their lives.

"These range from instances where the renter has been unaware of their rights, to cases where renters are exploited and subjected to terrible experiences by a minority of law breaking landlords."

"Too many people simply don't know their rights as a renter."

Richard Lambert, chief executive of the National Landlords Association, said: "These figures highlight serious issues that are simply unacceptable but our research with tenants shows that 82% say they are happy with their current landlord.

"Furthermore, Shelter's figures show the vast majority of landlords to be law abiding."

He added that three in 10 landlords across the UK say they have been either verbally or physically abused by a tenant.