Letting agents have joined forces with other players in the rental industry to demand the government finally get a grip on rental debt.

ARLA Propertymark has signed an open letter with the National Residential Landlords Association, The Big Issue and Ride Out Recession Alliance, Shelter, the Nationwide Building Society, and StepChange the Debt Charity. 

It says: “Many thousands of private renters and landlords across the country now face rent arrears due to the impact of the pandemic.

“Ministers have failed to address the core problem of debts which have built despite the financial package put in place so far. Indeed, the Chancellor confirmed that housing benefit will not be linked to the cost of renting for future years.

“Renters, landlords and letting agents cannot be expected simply to muddle through indefinitely where they face these financial difficulties. The Government needs to develop an urgent package to help renters in paying off arrears built since March last year.”

It continues: “Without further action, debts will continue to mount, making it far more difficult to sustain tenancies and keep renters in their homes after the pandemic.”