Tenants need a new source for housing advice to tackle landlords

There’s a big gap in tenants’ understanding of their legal protections when facing poor housing conditions, research reveals.

According to the TDS Charitable Foundation, many renters across England are unaware of how to address issues with landlords or letting agents.

And, it claims, the Renters’ Rights Bill will be ineffective if tenants don’t know where to turn to for problem resolution.

It is also calling for a ‘single, accessible source of housing advice’ to help tenants tackle landlords and agents.

RRB will be meaningless

The organisation’s head of policy and research, Dr Jennifer Harris, said: “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.

“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.”

Better options than councils

The report, drawn from detailed interviews with 46 renters and supported by a survey of more than 2,000 tenants, show that 60% of renters have encountered problems with their accommodation’s quality.

Yet, half of them don’t know where to seek help when their concerns go unresolved.

TDS says this lack of clarity extends beyond tenants, as the study found that councils, advice agencies, MPs’ offices and solicitors often provide inaccurate or vague guidance.

This guidance tends to point tenants to their local council when there are more effective options available.

New housing advice platform

TDS also says that with the Renters’ Rights Bill poised to bring significant reforms, including a new Landlord Ombudsman to safeguard tenants, it says the legislation won’t suffice.

It is calling for a unified housing advice platform, enhanced training for frontline staff and stricter enforcement of transparency rules for landlords and agents.

The organisation says there’s a need for systemic improvements to empower tenants and ensure the upcoming PRS reforms deliver meaningful change.