Nearly a quarter (24%) of private tenants believe their home is unsafe or in poor condition, according to a survey by Generation Rent.
The letting agency said 27% did not feel confident asking their landlord to fix something, even if it was the property owner’s responsibility.
The Generation Rent Supporter Survey added: “By ending Section 21, the Renters Rights Act (RRA) will make it harder for landlords to resist tenant complaints about the poor quality of our homes, so we would expect more tenant complaints and better quality.
“The new RRA will also extend the Decent Homes Standard to the private rental sector, with on-the-spot fines for dangerous conditions. It will also extend the Awaab Law, which introduces strict timelines for repairing dangerous hazards such as damp and mould. While the exact implementation dates for these laws are yet to be confirmed, we expect they will lead to greater confidence among tenants when requesting repairs and improve overall living standards in the private rental sector.”
Generation Rent added that 28% of private renters are not confident they can continue living in their home for the next 12 months.
It expects this figure to fall “dramatically” in the coming years, not only due to the end of fixed-term leases that often put pressure on tenants to move when they end, but also due to the end of arbitrary Section 21 evictions in May 2026.
More than one in three private tenants (34%) currently rate their landlord’s communication and responsiveness as poor.
Currently, 29% of private renters say they have felt intimidated, harassed or treated unfairly at least once by their current landlord or letting agent.
Generation Rent said 31% of private renters did not feel confident challenging a landlord’s unfair actions, while a further 29% felt insecure.
Unfair actions often include excessive rent increases imposed at the landlord’s discretion, regardless of the tenant’s ability to pay them, according to Generation Rent.
Thousands of UK landlords are expected to do this leave the private rental sector by 2026, according to real estate acquisition company LandlordBuyer.