Almost a quarter of private rentals in England fail to meet decent home standards, government figures have revealed.
Data from the English Housing Survey highlights the poor state of the country’s private rental sector, stating that 23% of private rentals pose a risk to health, are in disrepair, have poor facilities, or are poorly insulated.
That compares with 13% of owner-occupied homes and 10% of social housing.
The revelation comes as the government insists on a full audit of all 2.5m social homes, following the death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak from exposure to mould.
However, the new figures suggest private tenants are almost three times as likely to be exposed to damp as social housing tenants. An estimated 11% of privately rented homes have problems with damp, compared with 2% of owner-occupied homes and 4% of social lettings.
