The Citizens Advice charity is warning it has seen a huge surge in private renters worried about arrears.
And it says many renters will need financial support to pay back these debts or risk losing their homes.
It says views of the Citizens Advice web page on ‘Dealing with rent arrears’ have increased fourfold year on year, and the number of people seeking advice concerning possible homelessness has also risen.
Previous research by Citizens Advice has indicated over a third of private sector renters have seen their income fall by 20 per cent or more.
The charity is also calling for extra funding to be made available to support people to pay back arrears resulting from Coronavirus.
“The dramatic jump in the need for advice on rent arrears should be a warning sign for the government that many people are deeply worried about the possibility of losing their home” says Dame Gillian Guy, chief executive of Citizens Advice.
“Renters have been particularly vulnerable to the economic effects of Covid-19, yet protections for them run out sooner than many of the other measures to help people struggling, including those for mortgage payers" she continues.
“Many renters won’t be in a position to repay arrears built up due to Coronavirus. Without help, they risk losing the roof over their head through no fault of their own.”
Join the conversation
Jump to latest comment and add your reply
Citizens Advice, the charity that will not give advice to a citizen if they are a landlord.
Citizens Advice are a part Tax-payer funded organisation and a Complaint against them should be made, if fact, I think I will.
Government needs to cough up
It’s their problem and set expect ions for tenants
If a tenant does not, or cannot, pay then they MUST be evicted.
Simple.
Unless you as a landlord want to avoid bankruptcy.
More expectation of free money . The government gave80% of salary to stay at home , depends gave them extra funding. Tenants did not pay rent even when they got rent allowance from Government. And they still complain of financial hardship
What planet these people are living on? Yet the politicians are falling over themselves to promise everything as long you vote for us and keep us in power
Best way is to start showing the government/councils why tenants are being evicted, use S8 it maybe slower but the tenant has made themselves homeless by non payment
Please login to comment