"Worryingly, many of the tenants we spoke to felt they had no choice but to accept the situation or move out when they were facing challenges with their landlord or letting agent"
- Dr Jennifer Harris - TDS Group
A new report has highlighted significant confusion among renters in England about their rights when faced with poor-quality housing or unresponsive landlords.
Commissioned by the TDS Charitable Foundation, the research reveals that many tenants are unsure where to seek help and often lack basic understanding of their legal protections. The findings, based on in-depth interviews with 46 renters and supported by a national survey of more than 2,000 tenants, suggest that this knowledge gap leaves many unable to challenge unsafe or unfair treatment.
According to the report, 60% of renters had experienced problems with the condition or quality of their home. However, half said they did not know where to turn when their landlord or letting agent failed to deal with the issue.
The study also found that poor guidance extended beyond tenants themselves. In several cases, organisations expected to help, such as councils, advice services, MPs’ offices and even solicitors, provided inaccurate or overly broad advice. These groups frequently referred tenants back to local authorities, even when more appropriate options existed. The result, researchers say, is wasted time and growing disillusionment among renters.
With the Renters’ Rights Bill poised to bring major reforms to the rental sector, including the introduction of a new landlord ombudsman, the report argues that legislation alone will not address the problem.
Key recommendations include:
A central, easy-to-use source of housing advice for tenants
Better training for those providing frontline support
Stronger enforcement of rules requiring landlords and agents to be transparent about tenants' rights
“Worryingly, many of the tenants we spoke to felt they had no choice but to accept the situation or move out when they were facing challenges with their landlord or letting agent," comments head of policy and research at TDS Group, Dr Jennifer Harris. “Most said they found navigating the dispute resolution landscape difficult and frustrating. This is a clear sign that the current system is not working."
She added, “If people don’t know their rights or where to go for help, the new protections included in the Renters’ Rights Bill will be meaningless.
“We urgently need clearer information, stronger advice services, and much better signposting from the organisations renters rely on.”
