Falling behind with housing costs

Evidence is mounting that private renters are more affected by the crisis than people with other housing tenures. 

A new survey (30 May) from Resolution Foundation* shows: 

• private renters 50 per cent more likely to have fallen behind with housing costs than mortgagors 

• 13 per cent of private renters have fallen behind with housing costs since the crisis started compared to 8 per cent of mortgaged homeowners. 

According to the foundation, the survey highlight “how the pandemic has exacerbated Britain’s housing divide”. 

Other findings include: one-third of new benefit claimants in housing cost arrears; cutting spending on other items has been the most common way in which families are managing housing costs; a majority of renters who have done so are also at risk of material deprivation. 

At Citizens Advice, rented property is among our biggest advice issues.   

Our campaign for fair treatment of private tenants is firmly based on difficulties experienced by thousands of clients and their families.  We’re asking ministers to recognise the crisis is affecting private renters more than others.  They can do this by urgently: 

• scrapping Section 21 evictions
  
• revising Section 8 to give courts discretion on arrears eviction
• introducing a required pre-action protocol ahead of moves to repossession. 

* Coping with housing costs during the coronavirus crisis, Resolution Foundation, 30/05/20